In the petrochemical industry, it is critical to separate the light olefins/paraffins mixtures via an efficient and economic method. In this work, a series of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) (choline chloride (ChCl)-glycerol (G), ChCl-ethylene glycol (EG), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim][Cl])-G, and [Bmim][Cl]-EG) dissolving CuCl were used as novel membrane liquids to fabricate supported liquid membranes (SLMs) for the C2H4/C2H6 mixture separation. Interactions based on a hydrogen bond network in different DESs were characterized by time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (TOF-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Moreover, by absorption experiments, the Cu+ activity was quantitatively described based on a first-order equilibrium model. The effects of DESs species, CuCl concentration, transmembrane pressure, temperature, and time on separation performances were investigated by C2H4/C2H6 mixture permeation experiments. CuCl/ChCl-EG-based SLMs possessed good permeability and comparable permslectivity, as well as good long-term stability, surpassing the reported polymeric membrane upper bound. Systemic study demonstrated that the strength of the hydrogen bond networks in DESs could be tailored by optimizing the combinations of the HBAs and HBDs, and eventually improved the separation performances of the CuCl/DES-based SLMs.

A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to predict the hydrodynamics of a new type of fixed valve tray. The model considered gas- and liquid-flow within the Eulerian framework in which both phases were treated as interpenetrating continuum having separate transport equations. Interphase momentum transfer term was employed for describing the interfacial forces between the two phases, and the related average gas hold-up was obtained via the regression equation from experiment data. Calculations were carried out using the commercial packages ANSYS CFX 12.0. Clear liquid height, gas hold-up, and gas and liquid velocity profiles were predicted for various combinations of weir height, gas, and liquid flow rates. The predicted clear liquid height was generally in good agreement with measurement. The information predicted by the CFD model can be used in the optimal design of industrial trays.

The vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) properties for the binary and ternary mixtures of CH4, C2H4 and iso-C4H10 are of great importance in the recovery of ethylene from mixture containing CH4 and C2H4 with iso-C4H10 as solvent. Hence, Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo (GEMC) simulations were used to estimate vapor-liquid equilibrium for the binary and ternary mixtures of CH4, C2H4 and iso-C4H10 with the united atom potential NERD model. The selected simulation conditions are based on the experiment in the literature. The results of this work were shown to be in satisfactory agreement with available experimental data and predictions of Peng-Robinson equation of state. The structure of simulated liquid phase is also characterized by radial distribution function (RDF), which contributes to further understanding of the VLE curve of these systems. RDF is not sensitive to the pressure and temperature range. With the increase of pressure or the decrease of temperature, the molecules tend to gather together.

Three kinds of ionic liquids (ILs) with ether-functionalized cations and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anions were synthesized in our laboratory, and the SO2 absorption capacities of those three kinds of ILs were measured at temperature from 20 to 50 °C and 1 bar. High capacity of SO2, excellent reversibility, and high selectivity were achieved by the interaction between the ILs and SO2. The absorption and desorption processes are very fast, and SO2 can be removed completely from the ILs. Thermal stability was tested, and the decomposition temperatures of the three kinds of ILs were all higher than 420 °C. NMR investigations and computer simulation studies also show that SO2 absorption by these ILs is a physical process by forming weak hydrogen bonds between the oxygen atoms in the SO2 and the hydrogen atoms in the ILs. This work further investigated how the water content affects the solubility of SO2 in the ILs. These ILs exhibit significant improvements over traditional absorbents and indicate green, efficient, and energy-saving methods for industry applications in SO2 separation.

Isobaric vapor–liquid equilibria (VLE) data for the ethylene glycol + 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol + 1,3-butanediol, 1,2-propylene glycol + 1,2-butanediol, and ethylene glycol + 1,3-butanediol binary systems have been measured at 10.00 kPa using a VLE recirculating still. The experimental VLE data were correlated with nonrandom two-liquid (NRTL), Wilson, and universal quasichemical (UNIQUAC) activity coefficient models. The results showed that the calculated values of the vapor-phase mole fraction and boiling temperature by the NRTL, Wilson, and UNIQUAC models agreed well with the experimental data. The experimental data were checked with the Herington consistency test and Van Ness test method, which also showed thermodynamic consistency.