BASF to collaborate with UAE's Petroleum Institute for gas treatment research

BASF has signed a research collaboration agreement with the Petroleum Institute (PI) of Abu Dhabi for jointly developing new processes for removing aggressive sulfur compounds from acid gases. The research activities of BASF and PI will focus on methods that show a favourable energy balance. One example is the use of membranes, which are being utilised today to remove hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from acid gases.
 
Another research target will be on exploring the use of adsorbents to develop methods with low energy consumption. Adsorbents are usually porous substances that are insoluble in water. Their large surface area enables them to bond with other molecules through physical forces.
 
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Dr Jens Rudolph, who is responsible for the Middle East region in the OASE® gas treatment team of BASF, said, “We look forward to this collaboration because the Petroleum Institute is contributing its excellent expertise in the research, development and production of membranes and adsorbents to the research cooperation.”
 
“With decades of practical experience in many areas of gas treatment and its focus on innovation, BASF is a much appreciated research partner for us,” said Professor Dr Ahmed Abdalla, Department Deputy Chair and Associate Professor, PI, managing the adsorbent development part of the project.
 
“Both BASF and PI complement each other’s capabilities in developing efficient and economical gas treatment processes”, said Professor Dr Vikas Mittal, Associate Professor at PI’s Chemical Engineering Department, managing the development of membranes for gas separation.