Gas-phase simulated moving bed: Propane/propylene separation on 13X zeolite

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Separation Technology

Background:

• Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) technology has shown promise for gas mixture separation but lacks industrial-scale implementation.
• Conventional propane/propylene separation methods face limitations, driving the need for alternative technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To build and test a gas-phase SMB bench unit for separating propane and propylene mixtures.
• To evaluate the feasibility and efficiency of gas-phase SMB for industrial propane/propylene separation.

Main Methods:

• A gas-phase SMB bench unit with a 4-2-2 configuration was utilized.
• 13X zeolite extrudates served as the adsorbent, with isobutane as the desorbent.
• Experiments involved varying parameters like switching time and flow rates to optimize separation.

Main Results:

• Propylene was successfully separated with 99.93% purity and 99.51% recovery.
• Propane was obtained with 98.10% purity and 99.73% recovery.
• High performance parameters suggest the process is a viable alternative to conventional methods.

Conclusions:

• Gas-phase SMB is a feasible technology for propane/propylene separation at the bench scale.
• The demonstrated performance is promising for the future industrial-scale development of this separation technology.