New bio-based copolymers for CO2 gas separation membranes reduce energy consumption

Separation plays an important role in energy consumption in the chemical processing industry. Distillation and similar techniques account for 10-15% of energy consumption worldwide. Membrane-based separation techniques have the potential for far lower energy consumption compared to heat distillation.

Membrane-based separation techniques require materials having specific functional qualities, such as permanence and selectivity. These materials must be resistant to potential contaminants such as CO₂, H₂S, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), O₂, NH₄ and alkanes, as well as to high-pressure processing conditions (10-18 bars) and variations in temperature. They also need to provide a stable yield over the long term (more than 10 years).

BIOCOMEM initiative

TECNALIA will process new bio-based copolymer precursors in monolithic hollow-fibre membranes with enhanced mechanical, thermal and permeation properties.

Under the BIOCOMEM project, eight public and private sector partners will develop bio-based gas separation membranes using advanced function polyether-block-amide (PEBA) copolymers.

These gas separation membranes have a higher proportion of bio-based material and greater processability in hollow-fibre monolithic membranes. They also have a higher gas separation yield and greater resistance to chemical attack (ageing).

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This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 887075.