NSF TTP-T: Overcoming the Limitations of Distillation through Electro-Swing Separation of Olefins

NSF Award Search · 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $1,200,000 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

This project is funded through the NSF Translation to Practice (TTP) program, which supports efforts to translate research discoveries into practical tools that benefit communities, industry, and society. Many everyday products, from plastic bottles and packaging to car parts and clothing, are made from chemicals called olefins. These important building blocks of modern industry must be separated and purified before they can be used. Today, this is primarily done using a method called distillation, which requires expensive equipment and is energy intensive. Additionally, smaller amounts of valuable olefins simply cannot be separated economically, so they are burned off as waste, resulting in over $100 million in lost value every year. The researchers are pioneering a new, low-energy method to separate these chemicals using electricity instead of heat, called "electro-swing" separation. During this TTP-T project, the research team is collaborating with a large chemical company to build and test a working prototype of this process. This technology could save the chemical industry millions of dollars, reduce waste, and lower costs for consumers of products made from olefins. This project develops an electrochemically driven reactive absorption process for separating olefins from paraffins and difficult olefin/olefin mixtures - applications where conventional distillation is either uneconomical or technically impractical due to extremely close boiling points. The core innova

Key facts

NSF award ID
2552818
Awardee
University of California-Irvine (CA)
SAM.gov UEI
MJC5FCYQTPE6
PI
Jenny Y Yang
Primary program
01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
Estimated total
$1,200,000
Funds obligated
$1,200,000
Transaction type
Standard Grant
Period
07/01/2026 → 06/30/2029