Poly(ether urethane) and poly(ether urethane urea) membranes with high H2S/CH4 selectivity

The objective of this study was to synthesize rubbery polymers with a high H₂S/CH₄ selectivity for possible use as membrane materials for the separation of H₂S from ‘low-quality’ natural gas. Two poly(ether urethanes), designated hereafter PU1 and PU3, and two poly(ether urethane ureas), designated PU2 and PU4, were synthesized and cast in the form of ‘dense’ (homogeneous) membranes. PU1 and PU2 contained poly(propylene oxide) whereas PU3 and PU4 contained poly(ethylene oxide) as the polyether component. The permeability of these membranes to two ternary mixtures of CH₄, CO₂, and H₂S was measured at 35°C, and for a PU4 membrane also at 20°C, in the pressure range from 4 to 13.6 atm (4.05–13.78×10⁵ Pa). PU4 is a very promising membrane material for H₂S separation from mixtures with CH₄ and CO₂, having a H₂S/CH₄ selectivity greater than 100 at 20°C as well as a very high permeability to H₂S. Permeability measurements were also made with commercial PEBAX^TM membranes for comparison. The possibility of upgrading low-quality natural gas to US pipeline specifications for H₂S and CO₂ by means of membrane processes utilizing both highly H₂S-selective and CO₂-selective polymer membranes is discussed.