Polypropylene is the 2nd largest petrochemical commodity and 5th largest produced material in the US. The key step in propylene production is propylene/propane separation achieved by energy intensive cryogenic distillation method. Membrane separation technology is a more energy efficient solution to the separation problem, but propylene perm-selective polymer or inorganic membranes are not stable for this application. Recent study in the principal investigator's laboratory shows a new group of membranes, zeolitic-imidazolate framework (ZIF), to have desired separation properties and stability for the application.
ZIFs are highly tailorable with a wide range of chemical, textural, and crystalline properties that can be implemented into a number of other technological applications. The activities proposed in this project are directed towards development of membranes that can be scaled up for industrial olefin/paraffin separation. This project will gain much insight into the fundamental nature of material selection for membrane supports and synthesis and properties of ZIF membranes on scalable supports. The project will increase learning and understanding in membrane science and engineering to the academic community, while also delivering valuable information on how to transition such novel materials into useful industrial applications.
The specific objective of this project was to evaluate commercialziation potential for a membrane gas separation technology developed in a research project funded by the NSF, and to develop a business plan for commercializing the technology. The technology has potential to produce propylene, one of the most important chemicals, in an energy and cost-effective manner. The I-CORPS team consisted of an entreprenurial lead who is a recent Ph.D. graduate, a faculty principal investigator who conducted basic research leading to the discovery of the material for separation technology, and an industrial mentor. The team participated in the I-CORPS training workshop at University of Michigan in July 14-16, 2014. The entreprenurial lead conducted initial market study, with the help of the principal investigator and the mentor. The entire team participlated in the workshop training including development of the business plan for the product. The main challenge that faced the team was that the separation technology has a narrow customer base. The end users are a few highly specialized chemical and petroleum companies. It was difficult for a less experienced entreprenurial lead to discover a sufficient number of customers in a short period of time. The entreprenurial lead quit the program early. After discussing with the program director of the NSF, the team withdrew from the project and unused fund was returned to the NSF.
