Polyphosphazene gas separation membranes

Claim 2

1-. A gas separation membrane exhibiting relative preferential selectivity and permeabilities for acid gas permeants from gas mixtures containing the acid gas permeants and non-acid gases, comprising polyphosphazenes represented by the formula: where n is an integer between about 100 and about 70,000 and OR and OR' each represent one of a substituted alkoxy, aryloxy and substituted aryloxy, wherein R and R' can be the same or different with from 1 to about 25 carbon atoms.

Claim 3

The gas separation membrane according to Claim 1 wherein the substituted alkoxy and substituted aryloxies are halogenated.

Claim 4

The gas separation membrane according to Claim 2 wherein the substituted alkoxy and substituted aryloxy are unsaturated and the membrane is crosslinked.

Claim 5

The gas separation membrane according to Claim 2 wherein the halogenated alkoxy and halogenated aryloxy are fluorinated.

Claim 6

The gas separation membrane according to Claim 1 wherein the membrane is comprised of a polyphosphazene copolymer comprising randomly distributed phosphazene monomers with various alkoxy, aryloxy, substituted alkoxy and substituted aryloxy groups.

Claim 7

A gas separation membrane exhibiting relative preferential selectivity and permeabilities for acid gas permeates from gas mixtures containing the acid gas permeates in non-acid gases comprising a polyphosphazene represented by the formula: where n is between about 100 and about 70,000; where Y and Y' are the same or different and are comprised of oxygen, sulfur or nitrogen; R and R' are the same or different and are comprised of alkyl, aryl, substituted alkyl, or substituted aryl groups, each group having from 1 to about 25 carbon atoms.

Claim 8

A gas separation membrane exhibiting relative preferential selectivity and permeabilities for acid gas permeates from gas mixtures containing the acid gas permeates in non-acid gases comprising a polyphosphazene represented by the formula: where n is between about 100 and about 70,000; where Y and Y' are the same or different and are comprised of oxygen, sulfur or nitrogen; R and R' are the same or different and are comprised of alkyl, aryl, substituted alkyl, or substituted aryl groups, each group having from 1 to about 25 carbon atoms.

Claim 9

The gas separation membrane according to Claim.6 wherein the substituted alkyl and substituted aryl groups are halogenated.

Claim 10

The gas separation membrane according to Claim 6 wherein the halogenated alkyl and halogenated aryl are fluorinated.

Claim 11

The gas separation membrane according to Claims 6 wherein the substituted alkyl and substituted aryl are unsaturated and the membrane is crosslinked.

Claim 12

The gas separation membrane according to Claims 1 or 6 wherein the acid gas permeates are C0 2 and H25 which are separated from non-acid gaseous hydrocarbons.

Claim 13

The gas separation membrane according to Claims 1 or 6 which is comprised of mixtures of polyphosphazenes.

Claim 14

The gas separation membrane according to Claim 6 wherein the membrane is comprised of a polyphosphazene copolymer comprising randomly distributed phosphazene monomers with various alkyl, aryl, substituted alkyl and substituted aryl groups.

Claim 15

The gas separation membrane according to Claim 10 wherein the non-acid gaseous hydrocarbons have from 1 to about 3 carbon atoms per molecule.

Claim 16

The gas separation membrane according to Claim 10 wherein the non-acid gaseous hydrocarbon is comprised of methane.

Claim 17

A process for separating acid gases from non-acid gases comprising: contacting a gaseous feed mixture of acid gases and non-acid gases with a first surface of a separation membrane comprising polyphosphazenes having a preferential selectivity and permeability for the acid gases and represented by the formula: where n is an integer between about 100 and about 70,000 and OR and OR' each represent one of a substituted alkoxy, aryloxy and substituted aryloxy, wherein R and R' can be the same or different with from 1 to about 25 carbon atoms; maintaining a second surface of the polyphosphazene membrane at a lower chemical potential for the acid gases than the chemical potential at the first surface; permeatimgthe acid gases into and through the polyphosphazene membrane; and removing from the vicinity of the second surface a permeated product having a greater concentration of acid gases relative to non-acid gases than contained in the gaseous feed mixture.

Claim 18

A process for separating acid gases from non-acid gases comprising: contacting a gaseous feed mixture of acid gases and non-acid gases with a first surface of a separation membrane comprising polyphosphazenes having a preferential selectivity and permeability for the acid gases and represented by the formula: where n is an integer between about 100 and about 70,000 and OR and OR' each represent one of a substituted alkoxy, aryloxy and substituted aryloxy, wherein R and R' can be the same or different with from 1 to about 25 carbon atoms; maintaining a second surface of the polyphosphazene membrane at a lower chemical potential for the acid gases than the chemical potential at the first surface; permeatimgthe acid gases into and through the polyphosphazene membrane; and removing from the vicinity of the second surface a permeated product having a greater concentration of acid gases relative to non-acid gases than contained in the gaseous feed mixture.

Claim 19

A process for separating acid gases from non-acid gases comprising: contacting a gaseous feed mixture of acid gases and non-acid gases with a first surface of a separation membrane comprising polyphosphazenes having a preferential selectivity and permeability for the acid gases and represented by the formula: where n is between about 100 and about 70,000; where Y and Y' are the same or different and are comprised of oxygen, sulfur or nitrogen; R and R' are the same or different and are comprised of alkyl, aryl, substituted alkyl, or substituted aryl groups, each group having from 1 to about 25 carbon atoms; maintaining a second surface of the polyphosphazene membrane at a lower chemical potential for the acid gases than the chemical potential at the first surface; permeating the acid gases into and through the polyphosphazene membrane; and removing from the vicinity of the second surface a permeated product having a greater concentration of acid gases relative to non-acid gases than contained in the gaseous feed mixture.

Claim 20

A process for separating acid gases from non-acid gases comprising: contacting a gaseous feed mixture of acid gases and non-acid gases with a first surface of a separation membrane comprising polyphosphazenes having a preferential selectivity and permeability for the acid gases and represented by the formula: where n is between about 100 and about 70,000; where Y and Y' are the same or different and are comprised of oxygen, sulfur or nitrogen; R and R' are the same or different and are comprised of alkyl, aryl, substituted alkyl, or substituted aryl groups, each group having from 1 to about 25 carbon atoms; maintaining a second surface of the polyphosphazene membrane at a lower chemical potential for the acid gases than the chemical potential at the first surface; permeating the acid gases into and through the polyphosphazene membrane; and removing from the vicinity of the second surface a permeated product having a greater concentration of acid gases relative to non-acid gases than contained in the gaseous feed mixture.