Dec 12, 2017   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Compact Membrane Systems Announces Optiperm Installation with DowDuPont

Compact Membrane Systems (CMS) announces a pilot of its new OptipermTM olefins separation technology with DowDuPont. The project will field test OptipermTM membranes, with the ultimate goal of testing a demonstration size unit with membrane area greater than 100 ft2 within DowDuPont’s facilities. This technology program will be conducted jointly with DowDuPont, focused on C2 and C3 olefin/paraffin separations. Work will be conducted in olefin-rich streams, an application consistent with the recovery and use of olefins from a polymerization reactor purge line.

The aim of CMS’ OptipermTM technology is to enable refiners and petrochemical companies to separate and concentrate olefins, the building blocks of the industry, and create value by removing bottlenecks, eliminating waste, and upgrading existing streams, while capturing energy savings and reducing carbon footprint. Ultimately, OptipermTM membranes stand to disrupt and replace legacy distillation systems—the workhorses of the industry – with a more cost and energy efficient solution. Currently, distillation based olefin separations are estimated to consume 0.3% of all global energy, and are cited as ripe for disruption.

The pilot is the result of a public-private partnership sponsored and supported by the RAPID Manufacturing Institute of AIChE, in an effort to improve US Manufacturing and unleash savings in energy-intensive industries. Karen Fletcher, CEO of RAPID stated, “CMS’ OptipermTM represents one of several breakthrough technologies that we are encouraging our members to pursue. We anticipate that this technology will not only be a paradigm shift for the industry but also financially and environmentally significant in the years ahead.”

About CMS

Compact Membrane Systems is an advanced materials company providing industrial customers with high-performance chemical separations in harsh environments. Designed and manufactured in the US, CMS products are built on a proprietary membrane platform that underpins the company's other profitable lines of business in energy, pharmaceutical, marine and other industries. CMS is the recipient of the 2016 ICIS Innovation Award and a 2017 IQ-Chem award. More information on CMS is available at compactmembrane.com

About AIChE

AIChE, founded in 1908, is a professional society of more than 53,000 chemical engineers in 110 countries. Its members work in corporations, universities and government, using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop safe and useful products for the benefit of society. Through its varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for information exchange on the frontiers of chemical engineering research in such areas as energy, sustainability, biological and environmental engineering, nanotechnology, and chemical plant safety and security. More information about AIChE is available at www.aiche.org.

About RAPID

On December 9, 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the establishment of the 10th Manufacturing USA Institute, the Rapid Advancement in Process Intensification Deployment (RAPID) Institute. Leveraging $70 million in federal funding and more than $70 million in cost-share commitments from partners. RAPID is focused on developing breakthrough process-related technologies to boost energy productivity and energy efficiency. RAPID will leverage approaches to process intensification and modular process design used in a variety of energy-intensive industries. In the chemical industry alone, these technologies have the potential to save more than $9 billion annually. More information about RAPID is available at www.aiche.org/rapid.