Honeywell subsidiary UOP LLC unveiled on Tuesday a membrane element for its natural gas processing systems that it claims increases processing capacity and enhances carbon dioxide and contaminant removal.

In addition to increasing the amount of gas that can be processed in the system, preparing it for transportation, the membrane element removes more carbon dioxide than existing products. This “helps debottleneck downstream processing units, lowering overall operating costs for natural gas producers,” the company said.

The new membrane, the Separex Flux+, is an inert solid that consists of a semipermeable film made of cellulose acetate, according to UOP. The membrane creates a pressure differential that separates hydrocarbons from contaminants through a diffusion process.

The product is designed to replace membrane elements in UOP’s existing Separex processing systems, of which there are more than 130 installed worldwide, both on and offshore.

Des Plaines, IL-based UOP designs a wide range of products and solutions for processing and refining natural gas, as well as petrochemicals and biofuels.

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