Project Title: Cost-Efficient Process for
Increasing Natural Gas Production (Application of Molecular Gate Technology
to Oxygen Enrichment of Air Streams and Simplified Purification of
Natural Gas)
Project: To build and demonstrate
advanced separation technologies that will enable the one-step
purification of natural gas and the generation of oxygen-enriched airstreams,
thereby reducing the cost of natural gas purification, increasing
marketable natural gas reserves, improving the economics of transportable
oxygen for medical needs, and providing for cleaner-burning diesel
engines.
Duration: 12/1/1999 - 11/30/2002
ATP
Number:
99-01-6041
Funding
(in thousands):
ATP Final Cost
$1,790 39.9%
Participant Final Cost 2,700
60.1%
Total $4,490
Accomplishments: With ATP funding, Engelhard Corporation
developed a simplified, cost-effective process for the purification of
natural gas. The company accomplished the following objectives:
·
Single-step separation of carbon dioxide (CO2) and
water (H2O) from methane (CH4)
·
Single-step separation of nitrogen (N2), carbon
dioxide, and water from methane (CH4)
In 2005, Engelhard's Molecular Gate adsorbent
based technology earned a Kirkpatrick Chemical Engineering Achievement
award.
Engelhard Corporation received the following
patents for technologies related to the ATP-funded project:
·
"Polymorph-enriched ETS-4”
(No. 6,464,957: filed August 15, 2000; granted October 15, 2002)
·
"Water purification using titanium silicate membranes”
(No. 6,340,433: filed September 15, 2000; January 22, 2002)
·
"Geometric separation processes involving modified CTS
membranes”
(No. 6,395,067: filed September 15, 2000; granted May 28, 2002)
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·
"Simplified methods of manufacturing titanium silicate
membranes”
(No. 6,486,086: filed September 15, 2000; November 26, 2002)
·
"Selective removal of nitrogen from natural gas by pressure
swing adsorption”
(No. 6,315,817: filed October 30, 2000; granted November 13, 2001)
·
"Selective removal of nitrogen from natural gas by pressure
swing adsorption”
(No. 6,444,012: filed October 30, 2000; granted September 3, 2002)
·
"Pressure swing adsorption process”
(No. 6,497,750: filed February 26, 2001; granted December 24, 2002)
·
"Olefin separations employing CTS molecular sieves”
(No. 6,517,611: filed July 23, 2001; February 11, 2003)
·
"Heavy hydrocarbon recovery from pressure swing adsorption
unit tail gas”
(No. 6,610,124: filed March 12, 2002; granted August 26, 2003)
Commercialization Status: The intellectual property and
technology is now owned by BASF Catalysts LLC (formerly Engelhard
Corporation). Guild Associates Inc. of Dublin, Ohio
holds a USA
and multi-national license for the design and supply of two types of
Molecular Gate natural gas purification processing systems. These two
systems are: Single-step separation of carbon dioxide and water from
methane, and the single-step separation of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and
water from methane. In May 2006, 19 natural gas plants were using the
Molecular Gate adsorbent based technology.
Outlook: The outlook for BASF
Catalysts’ Molecular Gate adsorbent based technology is strong.
Simplified purification of natural gas is a growing need. U.S. gas
reserves are limited, and price increases in natural gas have helped to
justify the added cost for the removal of contaminates, such as nitrogen
and carbon dioxide. Market interest has been consistently high, with more
than 100 requests for quotations for Molecular Gate technology each year.
Overall, the efficacy of the removal/rejection systems has been excellent
and the timing for market conditions, including increased national
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