(391b) Design of Fluoropolymer Membrane Systems for the Dehydration of Organic Solvents for Use in Continuous Flow Chemistry Pharmaceutical Processes

Dehydration of solvents is an important step in many pharmaceutical and specialty chemical manufacturing processes. Currently, the most commonly used technology for this purpose is distillation which is both energy-intensive and limited by azeotropes between certain solvents of interest (i.e., isopropyl alcohol and water). Alternatively, membranes can be used to separate water from these solvents in an energy-efficient and scalable process. However, it has been difficult to find membranes with both sufficient separation capabilities as well as the ability to withstand the conditions in which the separation must occur (i.e., chemical and thermal stability).

We will discuss a new class of fluoropolymer membranes which are designed specifically to withstand harsh chemical environments while permeating water through the membranes to reach very low water content within a variety of solvents including THF, peroxides, ketones, alcohols, etc. The talk will cover the separation characteristics of the membrane materials as well as how to design a full pervaporation system for operation within a larger process. This will include how to use membranes in batch mode as well as in a flow chemistry process. Issues covered will include process parameters, heat control, compatibility, etc. Specifically, we will share several case examples where pervaporation was used as part of a larger process.