Poly(meth)acrylate membranes for separation of hydrocarbon mixtures

1. A separation membrane for the separation of hydrocarbon mixtures comprising the crosslinked reaction product of a polymerizable vinyl containing polyester having a structure of the formula:

wherein each R and R 2 is independently a C 6 -C 20 aromatic residue or a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic residue,

each R 1 is independently hydrogen or C 1 -C 5 alkyl;

“j” is an integer in the range of 2-1000; and

Z is oxygen, sulfur or two hydrogen atoms; with an initiator.

2. The separation membrane of claim 1 , wherein each R, R 1 and R 2 is independently attached to substituent (X) a , wherein each X is independently a member selected from the group consisting of amine,imide, amide, oxime, cyano, isonitrile, nitrate, hydrazide, nitrogen-containing heterocycle, carboxylic acid or corresponding metal salt, ether, formyl, carbonate, carboxylic acid ester, carbinol, phosphorus, phosphate, phosphinate, phosphonate, phosphine oxide, phosphinic acid, phosphonic acid, or corresponding metal salt, sulfone, suolfoxide, thioether, disulfide, sulfinic acid, sulfonic acid or corresponding metal salt, siloxane, fluorine, chlorine, and bromine; and

“a” is an integer in the range of 0-20.

3. The separation membrane of claim 1 , wherein

each R and R 2 is independently a member selected from the group consisting of 2,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane(or bisphenol-A); bis-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)methane; bis-(2-hydroxyphenyl)methane; bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)methane; bis-(4-hydroxy-5-nitrophenyl)methane; bis-(4-hydroxy-2,6-dimethyl-3-methoxyphenyl)methane; 1,1-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane; 1,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane; 1,1-bis-(4-hydroxy-2-chlorophenyl)ethane; 1,1-bis-(2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane; 1,3-bis-(3-methyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane; 2,2-bis-(3-phenyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane; 2,2-bis-(3-isopropyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane; 2,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane; 2,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)pentane; 3,3-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)pentane; 2,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl) heptane; bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)phenylmethane; bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl) cyclohexymethane; 1,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,2-bis-(phenyl)propane; 2,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenylpropane, 2,2-bis(2,6-dibromophenoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane, tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane, 2,2-bis-(4-(2-oxy-1-hydroxyethyl)phenyl)propane, 2,2-bis-(2,6-dibromo-4-(2-oxy-1-hydroxyethyl)phenyl)propane, 2,2-bis-(4-(3-oxy-2-hydroxypropyl)phenyl)propane; 2,2-bis-(2,6-dibromo-4-(3-oxy-2-hydroxypropyl)phenyl)propane, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,1-cyclohexanedimethanol, 1,2-ethandiol, and 2,2,2-tris-(hydroxymethyl)propane; and

each R 1 is independently hydrogen or methyl.

4. The separation membrane of claim 1 , wherein each R and R 2 is independently a member selected from the group consisting of isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, oxydiglycolic acid, oxydipropionic acid, thiodiglycolic acid, thiodipropionic acid, sulfonyldiglycolic acid, and sulfonyldipropionic acid.

5. The separation membrane of claim 1 , wherein the polymerizable vinyl containing polyester has a molecular weight from 500 to 20,000.

6. The separation membrane of claim 1 , further comprising a vinyl copolymer, wherein the vinyl copolymer is a member selected from the group consisting of styrenic, acrylic, methacrylic, acrylamide, methacrylamide, vinylether, vinylbenzyl ether, bismaleimide and isocyanate.

7. The separation membrane of claim 1 , wherein the initiator is a member selected from the group consisting of benzoyl peroxide, cumene hydroperoxide, 2,5-dimethyl-hexane-2,5-dihydroperoxide, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(t-butylperoxy)hexyne-3, di-t-butyl peroxide, t-butylcumyl peroxide, α,α′-bis(t-butylperoxy-m-isopropyl) benzene, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(t-butylperoxy)hexane, dicumyl peroxide, di-t-butylperoxy isophthalate, t-butylperoxy benzoate, 2,2-bis(t-butylperoxy) butane, 2,2-bis (t-butylperoxy)octane, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(benzoylperoxy)hexane, di(trimethylsilyl)peroxide, trimethylsilyltriphenylsilyl peroxide, 2,2′-azobis(4-methoxy-2,4-dimethylpentanenitrile), 2,3′-azobis (2,4-dimethylpentanenitrile), 2,2′-azobis (isobutyronitrile), 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-diphenylbutane, 3,4-dimethyl-3,4-diphenylhexane and diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide.

8. The separation membrane of claim 7 , whherein the amount of the initiator is from 0.1 part to 10 parts by weight.

9. The separation membrane of claim 7 , wherein the amount of the initiator is from 1 part to 2 parts by weight.

10. A separation membrane for the separation of hydrocarbon mixtures comprising the crosslinked reaction product of a polymerizable vinyl containing polyester comprises a structure of the formula

wherein each R and R 2 is independently a C 6 -C 20 aromatic residue or a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic residue,

each R 1 is independently hydrogen or C 1 -C 5 alkyl;

“s” is an integer in the range of 2-1000;

“t” is an integer between 1 and 10; and

Z is oxygen, sulfur or two hydrogen atoms; with an initiator.

11. The separation membrane of claim 10 , wherein each R, R 1 and R 2 is independently attached to substituents (X) a , wherein each X is independently a member selected from the group consisting of amine, imide, amide, oxime, cyano, isonitrile, nitrate, hydrazide, nitrogen-containing heterocycle, carboxylic acid or corresponding metal salt, ether, formyl, carbonate, carboxylic acid ester, carbinol, phosphorus, phosphate, phosphinate, phosphonate, phosphine oxide, phosphinic acid, phosphonic acid, or corresponding metal salt, sulfone, suolfoxide, thioether, disulfide, sulfinic acid, sulfonic acid or corresponding metal salt, siloxane, fluorine, chlorine, and bromine; and

“a” is an integer in the range of 0-20.

12. The separation membrane of claim 10 , wherein

each R and R 2 is independently a member selected from the group consisting of 2,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane(or bisphenol-A); bis-(2,4-dihydroxyphenyl)methane; bis-(2-hydroxyphenyl)methane; bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)methane; bis-(4-hydroxy-5-nitrophenyl)methane; bis-(4-hydroxy-2,6-dimethyl-3-methoxyphenyl)methane; 1,1-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane; 1,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane; 1,1-bis-(4-hydroxy-2-chlorophenyl)ethane; 1,1-bis-(2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane; 1,3-bis-(3-methyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane; 2,2-bis-(3-phenyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane; 2,2-bis-(3-isopropyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane; 2,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane; 2,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)pentane; 3,3-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)pentane; 2,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)heptane; bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)phenylmethane; bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexymethane; 1,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,2-bis-(phenyl)propane; 2,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenylpropane, 2,2-bis(2,6-dibromophenoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)propane, tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane, 2,2-bis-(4-(2-oxy-1-hydroxyethyl)phenyl)propane, 2,2-bis-(2,6-dibromo-4-(2-oxy-1-hydroxyethyl)phenyl)propane, 2,2-bis-(4-(3-oxy-2-hydroxypropyl)phenyl)propane; 2,2-bis-(2,6-dibromo-4-(3-oxy-2-hydroxypropyl)phenyl)propane, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,1-cyclohexanedimethanol, 1,2-ethandiol, and 2,2,2-tris-(hydroxymethyl)propane; and

each R 1 is independently hydrogen or methyl.

13. The separation membrane of claim 10 , wherein each Rand R 2 is independently a member selected from the group consisting of isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, oxydiglycolic acid, oxydipropionic acid, thiodiglycolic acid, thiodipropionic acid, sulfonyldiglycolic acid, and sulfonyldipropionic acid.

14. The separation membrane of claim 10 , wherein the polymerizable vinyl containing polyester has a molecular weight from 500 to 20,000.

15. The separation membrane of claim 10 , further comprising a vinyl copolymer, wherein the vinyl copolymer is a member selected from the group consisting of styrenic, acrylic, methacrylic, acrylamide, methacrylamide, vinylether, vinyl ester, vinylbenzyl ether, bismaleimide and isocyanate.

16. A method of preparing a separation membrane comprising the steps of:

providing a polyester diol,

reacting the polyester diol with methacryloyl chloride to form a vinyl containing polyester,

treating the vinyl containing polyester with a radical initiator to form a membrane mixture in a solvent,

casting the membrane mixture onto a membrane support,

removing the solvent from the membrane mixture, and

curing the membrane under nitrogen atmosphere.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising the step of providing a second vinyl containing polyester before the step of casting the membrane mixture.