Abstract

MALDONADO, Rainier et al. Processes for purificarion of propane as refrigerant R290. Rev. Fac. Ing. UCV [online]. 2014, vol.29, n.1, pp.101-114. ISSN 0798-4065.

The use of propane as refrigerant is becoming more common. The feasibility of increasing the purity of a liquid olefin-free propane stream, at 303 K and 1240 kPa, was studied in this project, in order to obtain propane as refrigerant R290. The model equations for the following processes were evaluated: Distillation, separation using inorganic porous membranes and fix-bed adsorption. The separation by distillation is feasible, with a 90% recovery of the propane. The heat consumption for the indirect arrangement of the columns is lower than the corresponding for the direct sequence. The thermal integration of the columns decreases the global heat consumption. In one the columns becomes necessary the use of packing instead of trays, in order to standardize its dimensions. It is also possible to increase the purity of the propane by combination of pervaporation and liquid phase adsorption, separating the lighter components by permeation through porous membranes under Knudsen flow pattern, and removing the content of the heavier components in a fix bed of ZSM5 zeolites. Under that combination of processes the propane recovery is about 80%. The purity and production of the propane are result of the porosity and the permeation surface size used for the membrane module, and of the use of adsorbent particles without internal mass transfer limitations.

Keywords : Distillation; Fix bed adsorption; Pervaporation; Porous membranes; R290 Refrigerant.

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