Makeup Hy Recycle Hy Frosh © Ms so 4 Makeup He Rook Recycle Hy flash fila Figure 14.2 Reacior section of process to disproportionate toluene into benzene and xylene isomers. (a) Without a vapor separation step. (b) With a membrane separation step. Note: Heat exchangers, compressors, pump not shown, liquid. Because of the large amount of hydrogen in the Alash-drum vapor, itis important to recycle this stream to the reactor, rather than sending it to a flare or using it as a fuel. However, if all of the vapor were recycled, methane and ethane would build up in the recycle loop, since no other exit is provided. Before the development of acceptable mem- ‘branes for the separation of Hz from CH, by gas permeation, part of the vapor stream was customaily purged from the process, as shown in Figure 14.28, to provide an exit for CH, and C3H, With the introduction of a suitable 140 Instructional Objectives 495, ‘membrane in 1979, it became possible to apply membrane Separators, as shown in Figure 14.2b. ‘Table 14.2 is the steady-state material balance of the reaction section of Figure 14.2b for a plant designed to process 7,750 bartels (42 gal/bbl) per operating day of fresh toluene feed. The gas permeation membrane system sepa- rates the flash vapor (stream $11) into an Hy-entiched per= meate (S14, the reeycled hydrogen), and a methane-entiched retentate (S12, the purge). The flash vapor to the membrane system contains 89.74 mol% Hz and 9.26 mol% CH, No-sweep fluid is necessary. The permeate is enriched {0 94.46 mol% in Hz: The retentate is entiched in CH, to 31:18 mol. The recovery of Hy in the permeate is 90%. ‘Thus, only 10% ofthe Hy in the vapor leaving the flash drum istostio the purge. Before entering'the membrane separator system, the vapor is heated toa temperature of at least 20°F (the dew-point temperature of the retentate) ata pressure of 450 psia (heater not shown). Because the hydrogen content of the feed is reduced in passing through the membrane separator, the retentate becomes more concentrated in the heavier components. Without the heater, undesirable conden- sation would occur in the separator. The retentate leaves the separator at about the same temperature and pressure as that of heated flash vapor entering the separator. The permeate leaves at the much-lower pressure of SO psia-and a tempera- ture somewhat lower than 200°F because of gas expansion, ‘The membrane is an aromatic polyamide polymer con- isting of a 0.3-micron-thick, nonporous layer in contact with the feed, and a much-thicker porous support backing to give the membrane strength and ability to withstand the pressure differential of 450 — $0 = 400 psi. This large pres- sure difference is needed to force the hydrogen through the nonporous membrane, which is in the form of a spiral- wound module made from flat membrane sheets. The aver- fage Mux of hydrogen through the membrane is: 40 soft (standard £001 at 60°F and 1 atm) per fof membrane sur- face area. From the material balance in Table 14,2, the total ‘amount of H, transported through the membrane is (1,685.1 mot 978 stbmal) = 639,000 seth Table 14.2 Material Balance for Membrane Separetion Process ina Toluene Dispropertionation Plant; Flaw Rates in mol for Streams in Reactor Section of Figure 14.2 Component S02 503 su sis 0s 308 sis su siz Hydrogen 2690 1685.1 1954118906 183187231872 ‘Methane sos 988 149.3 2128 197 31 943 Ethane 168 168 168. 34 4a Benzene na 131 5166 STL 48 48 Toluene 1,060.4 13330 24024 1338913347 42 42 peXylene 80 soso S074 06 06 Total 10694 3363 1739 45837 4503724574 208633024