SAAMM

The global annual production of ethene and propene exceeds 200 million tonnes with these chemicals mostly used to prepare plastics. However, the separation of alkenes such as ethylene and propylene from their respective alkanes (ethane or propane) represent some of the most challenging and certainly the most energy intensive separations currently employed. The above-mentioned alkane/alkene separations are particularly problematic due to the similarity in the physical and chemical properties of the components. The current solution employed for these separations involves over 70 distillation steps at sub-ambient temperature. Bearing in mind the above mentioned global requirement for these alkenes for polymers, any room temperature alternative to the current process represents a game changer in this domain. This project aims by coupling experimental studies and simulation to develop effective and energy-efficient separation processes using microporous materials such as zeolites and MOFs.