The fractionation of hydrocarbon mixtures by distillation forms the foundation upon which all petroleum refining is built.  Membrane based separations have the potential to avoid phase changes and separate molecules based on properties other than boiling point.  Therefore, in combination with distillation or as standalone separations, membranes have the potential to access molecules not separable by distillation alone and reduce the energy required to provide the products demanded by the global economy.<br/>ExxonMobil has been performing research in the space of membrane based hydrocarbon liquid separations on and off for over 25 years.  In that timeframe much has changed in the area of advanced materials for separation and in the need for energy reductions in the manufacturing space.  This talk will give an overview of our work in membrane separations.  We will cover the separation of wide-ranging complex hydrocarbon streams from vacuum tower bottoms to mixed xylenes with membranes covering the spectrum of material types. We will also discuss our progression in understanding the fundamentals of multicomponent hydrocarbon transport in porous and dense membranes. Finally we will provide perspective on the potential for membranes to make an impact on modern refining and petrochemicals production.

Separation of complex hydrocarbon mixtures by nanofiltration and reverse osmosis – extending fundamental understanding to concepts for refining and petrochemicals

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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