A high CO2 permselective mesoporous silica/carbon composite membrane for CO2 separation

Ordered mesoporous silica/carbon composite membranes with a high CO₂ permeability and selectivity were designed and prepared by incorporating SBA-15 or MCM-48 particles into polymeric precursors followed by heat treatment. The as-made composite membranes were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and N₂ adsorption, of which the gas separation performance in terms of gas permeability and selectivity were evaluated using the single gas (CO₂, N₂, CH₄) and gas mixtures (CO₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄, 50/50 mol.%). In comparison to the pure carbon membranes and microporous zeolite/C composite membranes, the as-made mesoporous silica/C composite membranes, and the MCM-48/C composite membrane in particular, exhibit an outstanding CO₂ gas permeability and selectivity for the separation of CO₂/CH₄ and CO₂/N₂ gas pairs owing to the smaller gas diffusive resistance through the membrane and additional gas permeation channels created by the incorporation of mesoporous silicas in carbon membrane matrix. The channel shape and dimension of mesoporous silicas are key parameters for governing the gas permeability of the as-made composite membranes. The gas separation mechanism and the functions of porous materials incorporated inside the composite membranes are addressed.     

Incorporation of carbon nanofibers into a Matrimid polymer matrix: Effects on the gas permeability and selectivity properties

Composite membranes containing carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and Matrimid were prepared by a solution‐casting method. Prepared Matrimid–CNF composite membranes were characterized with X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and mechanical testing techniques. The mechanical properties of the composite membranes increased over that of the pristine polymeric membranes. To develop a broad fundamental understanding of the connection between the composite architecture and gas‐transport properties, both the gas‐permeability and gas‐separation characteristics were evaluated. The gas‐transport properties of the Matrimid–CNF composite membrane was measured with a single gas‐permeation setup (He, H₂, N₂, CH₄ and CO₂) at ambient temperature with the variable‐volume method. The incorporation of CNFs (0.5–10 wt %) into the Matrimid matrix resulted in approximately a 22% reduction in the gas permeation of various gases, (H₂, He, CO₂, N₂, and CH₄). Moreover, an improvement of 1.5 times in the gas selectivity was observed for CO₂/CH₄, H₂/CH₄, He/CH₄, and H₂/N₂ compared to pristine polymeric membrane. Hence, such polymer–CNF composite membranes could be suitable for gas‐separation applications with high purity requirements. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46019.     

Carbon membranes from cellulose and metal loaded cellulose

The focus of this work was to find a low-cost precursor for carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes, and a simple way of producing them. In addition, several ways of modifying a carbon material are described. The modification method used in this study was metal doping of carbon. CMS membranes were formed by vacuum carbonization of cellulose and metal loaded cellulose. Metal additives include oxides of Ca, Mg, Fe(III) and Si, and nitrates of Ag, Cu and Fe(III).The carbon membrane containing Fe-nitrate has promising separation performance for the gas pairs O₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄. Carbon containing nitrates of Cu or Ag show high selectivity, but reduced O₂ and CO₂ permeability compared to carbon with Fe-nitrate. Element analysis indicates that Cu migrates to the carbon surface, creating an extra layer resistance to gas transport. A silver mirror is also seen on the surface of Ag-nitrate-containing carbon. However, the Ag- and Cu-containing membranes show a high H₂ permeability. Adding metal oxides makes the carbon membranes retard the transport of easily condensable gases (e.g. CO₂). This can be exploited for enhanced H₂/CO₂ separation efficiency.     

Controlled synthesis of high performance carbon/zeolite T composite membrane materials for gas separation

A simple approach has been developed to synthesize the carbon/zeolite T composite membrane materials with the high gas separation performance. The precursors of the composite membrane are composed of polyimide matrix and dispersed zeolite T particles. The composite membranes prepared by pyrolysis at 973 K show excellent gas (H₂, CO₂, O₂, N₂, and CH₄) permeability and selectivity (O₂/N₂, CO₂/CH₄) for both single gas and mixed-gas. The gas separation performance of the composite membranes can be controlled in a wide range by only changing the zeolite T particle size. The maximum selectivity of O₂ over N₂ (21/79 mol%) for the composite membranes with the least zeolite T particle (0.5 μm) is 15 with an O₂ permeability of 347 Barrers (1 Barrer = 7.5 × 10⁻¹⁸ m² s⁻¹ Pa⁻¹) and the selectivity of CO₂ over CH₄ (50/50 mol%) reaches a value of 179 with a CO₂ permeability of 1532 Barrers. It is believed that the increase of gas permeability is attributed to the ordered microchannels in the zeolite and the interfacial gaps formed between zeolite and carbon matrix in the composite membranes. And the gas selectivity is tuned by the size of interfacial gaps which are varied with the zeolite particle size. This technique will provide a simple and convenient route to efficiently improve the trade-off relationship between the permeability and the selectivity and enable the construction of carbon-based composite materials with novel functionalities in membrane science.     

Transport properties of gases through integrally skinned asymmetric composite membranes prepared from date pit powder and polysulfone

Studies were conducted on transport properties and separation performance of date pit/polysulfone composite membranes for CO₂, CH₄, N₂, He, and H₂ gases. Date seeds were obtained and processed into powder. Asymmetric flat sheet membrane was prepared by solvent casting method with 2–10 wt % date pit powder. Membrane characterization was done using high pressure gas permeation, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric, and scanning electron microscope analyses. The separation performance and the plasticization resistance property were evaluated in terms of gas permeability, selectivity, and plasticization pressure, respectively. Time dependent performance properties were evaluated up to a pressure of 40 bar for 75 days. Results obtained showed the highest selectivity values of 1.54 (He/H₂), 3.637 (He/N₂), 2.538 (He/CO₂), 2.779 (He/CH₄), 3.179 (H₂/N₂), 3.907 (H₂/CO₂), 1.519 (CH₄/N₂), 1.650 (CO₂/N₂), and 1.261 (CO₂/CH₄) at 10 bar and 35 °C feed pressure and temperature, respectively. The resulting composite membrane showed about 39.50 and 66.94% increase in the selectivity of He/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄, respectively, as compared to the pure polysulfone membrane. Thus, the membrane composites possess some potentials in membrane gas separation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43606.     

Modeling and optimization of gas transport characteristics of carbon molecular sieve membranes through statistical analysis

This study aims to propose the importance of employing statistical analysis and modeling for investigation on the design and optimization of CMS membranes for gas separation. The factorial methodology is used to optimize permeability and selectivity through implementing the general factorial design considering the three main parameters such as choice of precursor materials, blend composition and the final pyrolysis temperature. Findings by statistical analysis showed that the linear and quadric terms of these three variables had significant effects. The optimal conditions are the Matrimid, blend composition 70%, and pyrolysis temperature at 800°C. Under these conditions, the model estimated a CO₂/CH₄, H₂/CO₂, and O₂/N₂ selectivity of 120.2, 8.39, and 8.06, respectively. Employed statistical technique and developed models can be used as a useful tool for design and optimization of appropriate gas separation membranes with effective performance for various industrial applications. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:147–157, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Mixed matrix membranes based on 6FDA polyimide with silica and zeolite microsphere dispersed phases

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) prepared with 6FDA‐DAM polymer using ordered mesoporous silica MCM‐41 spheres (MSSs), Grignard surface functionalized MSSs (Mg‐MSSs) and hollow zeolite spheres are studied to evaluate the effects of surface modification on performance. Performance near or above the so‐called permeability‐selectivity trade‐off curve was achieved for the H₂/CH₄, CO₂/N₂, CO₂/CH_4, and O₂/N₂ systems. Two loadings (8 wt % and 16 wt %) of MSSs were tested using both constant volume and Wicke–Kallenbach sweep gas permeation systems. Besides single gas H₂, CO₂, O₂, N₂, and CH₄ tests, mixed gas (50/50 vol %) selectivities were obtained for H₂/CH₄, CO₂/N₂, CO₂/CH₄, and O₂/N₂ and found to show enhancements vs. single gases for CO₂ including cases. Mg‐MSS/6FDA‐DAM was the best performing MMM with H₂/CH₄, CO₂/N₂, CO₂/CH₄, and O₂/N₂ separation selectivities of 21.8 (794 Barrer of H₂), 24.4 (1214 Barrer of CO₂), 31.5 (1245 Barrer of CO₂), and 4.3 (178 Barrer of O₂), respectively. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 4481–4490, 2015     

The morphology and gas‐separation performance of membranes comprising multiwalled carbon nanotubes/polysulfone–Kapton

The development of desirable chemical structures and properties in nanocomposite membranes involve steps that need to be carefully designed and controlled. This study investigates the effect of adding multiwalled nanotubes (MWNT) on a Kapton–polysulfone composite membrane on the separation of various gas pairs. Data from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirm that some studies on the Kapton–polysulfone blends are miscible on the molecular level. In fact, the results indicate that the chemical structure of the blend components, the Kapton–polysulfone blend compositions, and the carbon nanotubes play important roles in the transport properties of the resulting membranes. The results of gas permeability tests for the synthesized membranes specify that using a higher percentage of polysulfone (PSF) in blends resulted in membranes with higher ideal selectivity and permeability. Although the addition of nanotubes can increase the permeability of gases, it decreases gas pair selectivity. Furthermore, these outcomes suggest that Kapton–PSF membranes with higher PSF are special candidates for CO₂/CH₄ separation compared to CO₂/N₂ and O₂/N₂ separation. High CH₄, CO₂, N₂, and O₂ permeabilities of 0.35, 6.2, 0.34, and 1.15 bar, respectively, are obtained for the developed Kapton–PSF membranes (25/75%) with the highest percentage of carbon nanotubes (8%), whose values are the highest among all the resultant membranes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43839.     

Impact of H+ ion beam irradiation on Matrimid®. II. Evolution in gas transport properties

Ion beam irradiation is an easily controlled method to modify the chemical structure and microstructure of polymers including the fractional free volume, free volume distribution and chain mobility, thus altering the gas transport properties of the irradiated polymers. The previous paper focused on the impact of H⁺ ion beam irradiation on chemical structural evolution of the polyimide Matrimid®. This paper focuses on the impact of H⁺ ion beam irradiation on microstructure and gas permeation properties of Matrimid®. Irradiation at low ion fluence resulted in slight decreases in permeabilities for five gases (i.e., He, CO₂, O₂, N₂, and CH₄) with increases in permselectivities for some gas pairs (e.g., He/CH₄ and He/N₂). In contrast, irradiation at relatively high ion fluences resulted in simultaneous increases in permeabilities and permselectivities for most gas pairs (e.g., He/CH₄, He/N₂, O₂/N₂, and CO₂/CH₄). While Matrimid® has bulk gas permeation properties that are below the range of commercially interesting polymers, samples irradiated at high ion fluences exhibited significant improvement in gas separation performances. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 1670–1680, 2007     

Gas‐separation properties of amine‐crosslinked polyimide membranes modified by amine vapor

The modification of a polyimide (PI) membrane by aromatic amine vapor was performed in this work to increase the crosslinking of the membrane and to study the effect on gas permeability and the corresponding selectivity. The single‐gas permeability of the membranes at 35 °C was probed for H₂, O₂, N₂, CO₂, and CH₄. From the relationship between the combinations of gases and ideal permselectivities, this study showed that amine‐crosslinked PI membranes tended to increase gas permselectivities exponentially with the increasing difference in gas kinetic diameter. Moreover, this study illustrated that the permeability of the membranes was influenced by the formation rate of amine‐crosslinked networks or chemical structures after the reaction. The membranes had the highest level of permselectivities among crosslinked PI membranes for O₂/N₂, and the H₂/CH₄ permselectivity increased 26 times after vapor modification. Furthermore, the modification method that used aromatic amine vapor produced thin and strongly modified layers. These findings indicate that modification is an advantageous technique for improving gas‐separation performance, even considering thinning. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44569.     

The effects of chemical structure on gas transport properties of poly(aryl ether ketone) random copolymers

The physical properties and gas permeation behavior of a series of homo/random copolymers of 4,4′-difluorobenzophenone (DFBP)–2,2-bis(4-hydroxy-phenyl)propane (BPA)/2,2-bis(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethyl-phenyl)propane (TMBPA) have been investigated by systematically varying the diol ratios. The tetramethyl substitution group on the phenyl rings simultaneously increases polymer free volume and chain stiffness. These were confirmed by experimental and simulated methods. With the increase in TMBPA content, the gas permeation coefficients, diffusion and solubility coefficients of H₂, O₂, N₂, CO₂ and CH₄ were found to increase. The gas transport coefficients of the copolymers predicted from the additional rule were compared with the experimental results and the results obtained were within the expectations. In addition, the logarithm of gas permeation coefficients and the reciprocal of fractional free volume (1/FFV) also exhibited a good correlation. However, with the incorporation of TMBPA moiety, the permselectivity of gas pairs such as H₂/N₂, O₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄ remains reasonably high. As a result, the gas separation performance of TMBPA modified poly(aryl ether ketone) approaches the upper bound of the corresponding gas pairs. After comparing this work with gas separation performance of other methyl substituted polymers, one may conclude there is a general phenomenon that methyl substitution increases the gas permeability of the modified polymer with a small loss in gas selectivity for small gas pairs.     

Separation characteristics of tetrapropylammoniumbromide templating silica/alumina composite membrane in CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/N<Subscript>2</Subscript>, CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/H<Subscript>2</Subscript> and CH<Subscript>4</Subscript>/H<Subscript>2</Subscript> systems

Nanoporous silica membrane without any pinholes and cracks was synthesized by organic templating method. The tetrapropylammoniumbromide (TPABr)-templating silica sols were coated on tubular alumina composite support ( γ-Al₂O₃/ α-Al₂O₃ composite) by dip coating and then heat-treated at 550 °C. By using the prepared TPABr templating silica/alumina composite membrane, adsorption and membrane transport experiments were performed on the CO₂/N₂, CO₂/H₂ and CH₄/H₂ systems. Adsorption and permeation by using single gas and binary mixtures were measured in order to examine the transport mechanism in the membrane. In the single gas systems, adsorption characteristics on the α-Al₂O₃ support and nanoporous unsupport (TPABr templating SiO₂/ γ-Al₂O₃ composite layer without α-Al₂O₃ support) were investigated at 20–40 °C conditions and 0.0–1.0 atm pressure range. The experimental adsorption equilibrium was well fitted with Langmuir or/and Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm models. The α-Al₂O₃ support had a little adsorption capacity compared to the unsupport which had relatively larger adsorption capacity for CO₂ and CH₄. While the adsorption rates in the unsupport showed in the order of H₂> CO₂> N₂> CH₄ at low pressure range, the permeate flux in the membrane was in the order of H₂≫N₂> CH₄> CO₂. Separation properties of the unsupport could be confirmed by the separation experiments of adsorbable/non-adsorbable mixed gases, such as CO₂/H₂ and CH₄/H₂ systems. Although light and non-adsorbable molecules, such as H₂, showed the highest permeation in the single gas permeate experiments, heavier and strongly adsorbable molecules, such as CO₂ and CH₄, showed a higher separation factor (CO₂/H₂=5-7, CH₄/H₂=4-9). These results might be caused by the surface diffusion or/and blocking effects of adsorbed molecules in the unsupport. And these results could be explained by surface diffusion. This paper is dedicated to Professor Hyun-Ku Rhee on the occasion of his retirement from Seoul National University.     

Effect of air gap on gas permeance/selectivity performance of BTDA‐TDI/MDI copolyimide hollow fiber membranes

Fabrication, morphology evaluation , and permeance/selectivity properties of three asymmetric BTDA‐TDI/MDI copolyimide hollow fiber membranes (HFM s ) are reported. The asymmetric HFM s were spun using the dry/wet phase inversion process. The effect of one of the major spinning parameters, the air gap, on the permeance/selectivity properties of the produced HFM was investigated. Scanning e lectron m icroscopy was used to evaluate the morphological characteristics and the macroscopic structure of the developed HFM. The permeance values of He, H₂, CH₄, CO₂, O₂, and N₂ gases were measured by the variable pressure method at different feed pressures and temperatures and the permselectivity coefficients were calculated. The higher selectivity values were evaluated for the Μ1 membrane and were found to be 49.33, 2.99, 5.13, 5.57 , and 9.61 for H₂/CH₄, O₂/N₂, CO₂/CH₄, CO₂/N₂ , and H₂/CO₂ gas mixtures , respectively. The selectivity experiments of H₂/CH₄, CO₂/CH₄ , and O₂/N₂ mixtures were performed at 25 ° C. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 4490–4499, 2013     

Effect of coating procedure on composite gas separation membrane performance

The influence of different coating procedures on the transport and separation properties of composite gas separation membranes was studied. The composite membrane (CM) comprises a coating material (silicone rubber) in occluding contact with an asymmetric polysulfone flat membrane (AM). Permeabilities, ideal separation factors and structure of the CM were found to depend strongly on the evaporation time, volume and concentration of the coating solutions. Gas permeation experiments (H₂, N₂, CO₂, CH₄) indicated that gas permeabilities decreased rapidly with an increasing amount of coating. A maximum in the H₂/N₂, H₂/CH₄ ideal separation factor was reached as the amount of coating was increased. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies revealed the presence of a dense isotropic layer of coating material above an anisotropic layer comprised of a mixture of polysulfone nodules and silicone material. The results showed that the CM prepared with a concentration of 6% silicone solution and contact time of 1 min has the best gas separation performance.     

Preparation of polyethyleneglycol (PEG) and cellulose acetate (CA) blend membranes and their gas permeabilities

Miscible blend membranes containing 10 wt % PEG of low molecular weight 200, 600, 2000, and 6000, and 10 wt %, 20 wt %, 30 wt %, 40 wt %, 50 wt %, and 60 wt % of molecular weight 20,000 were prepared to investigate the effect of PEG on gas permeabilities and selectivities for CO₂ over N₂ and CH₄. The permeabilities of CO₂, H₂, O₂, CH₄, and N₂ were measured at temperatures from 30 to 80°C and pressures from 20 cmHg to 76 cmHg using a manometric permeation apparatus. It was determined that the blend membrane, which contained 10% PEG 20,000, exhibited higher permeability for CO₂ and higher permselectivity for CO₂ over N₂ and CH₄ than those of the membranes that contained 10% PEG of the molecular weight ranging from 200 to 6000. The high PEG 20,000 content blend membranes showed remarkable permeation properties such that the permeability coefficients of CO₂ and the ideal separation factors for CO₂ over N₂ reached above 200 barrer and 22, respectively, at 70°C and 20 cmHg. Based on the data of gas permeability coefficients, time lags, and characterization of the membranes, it is proposed that the apparent solubility coefficients of all CA and PEG blend membranes for CO₂ were lower than those of the CA membrane. However, almost all of the blend membranes containing PEG 20,000 showed higher apparent diffusivity coefficients for CO₂, resulting in higher permeability coefficients of CO₂ than those of the CA membrane. It is attributed to the high diffusivity selectivities of CA and PEG 20,000 blend membranes that their ideal separation factors for CO₂ over N₂ were higher than those of the CA membrane in the temperature range from 50 to 80°C, even though the ideal separation factors of all CA and PEG blend membranes for CO₂ over CH₄ became lower than those of the CA membrane over nearly the full temperature range from 30 to 80°C. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Reducing the crystallinity of high molecular weight poly (ethylene oxide) using ultraviolet cross-linking for preparation of gas separation membranes

CO₂-selective cross-linked poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) membranes were prepared by the UV irradiation of high molecular weight PEO in the presence of benzophenone as photo-initiator, which act as a hydrogen-abstracting agent. The main goal was to study the effects of the cross-linking process on the structural properties of hydrogel films intended for the gas separation applications. It was found that the gel fraction, and cross-link density enhanced, and the crystallinity, and the size of spherulites decreased by the cross-linking process. Moreover, the permeation performances for N₂, O₂, CH₄, and CO₂ and the relationship between the gas permeation performances and physical properties were investigated. The results indicated that the degree of cross-linking and crystallinity could be controlled by changing the initiator concentration, as by increasing the initiator content, the crystallinity percent and gas permeability of the membranes decreased, and the gas pair ideal selectivity of CO₂/N₂, CO₂/CH₄, CH₄/N₂, and O₂/N₂ increased.     

Gas permeation in miscible blends of poly(methyl methacrylate) with bisphenol chloral polycarbonate

The miscibility of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with bisphenol chloral polycarbonate (BCPC) has been studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), optical indication of phase separation on heating (i.e., lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior), density measurement, and gas permeation. All evidence indicates that PMMA is miscible with BCPC over the whole blend composition range. Single composition-dependent glass transition temperature and LCST behavior have been observed for each blend. The specific volumes of the blends follow closely the simple additivity rule indicating the interaction between PMMA and BCPC is weak. Gas permeability coefficients for He, H₂, O₂, Ar, N₂, CH₄, and CO₂ measured at 35°C under 1 to 2 atm upstream pressure are lower than those calculated from the semilogarithmic additivity rule. The difference between this calculated permeability and the measured one increases with gas molecular size. As a result, the ideal gas separation factors for He/CH₄, CO₂/CH₄, and O₂/N₂ gas pairs estimated from the ratio of pure gas permeabilities are higher than predicted from the semilogarithmic additivity rule. These permeation results were interpreted in terms of the free volume theory and the activated state theory, which have been proposed to describe gas transport behavior in polymer mixtures.     

Gas permselection properties in silicone-coated asymmetric polyethersulfone membranes

The gas permeation properties of H₂, He, CO₂, O₂, and N₂ through silicone-coated polyethersulfone (PESf) asymmetric hollow-fiber membranes with different structures were investigated as a function of pressure and temperature and compared with those of PESf dense membrane and silicone rubber (PDMS) membrane. The PESf asymmetric hollow-fiber membranes were prepared from spinning solutions containing N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as a solvent, with ethanol, 1-propanol, or water as a nonsolvent-additive. Water was also used as both an internal and an external coagulant. A thin silicone rubber film was coated on the external surface of dried PESf hollow-fiber membranes. The apparent structure characteristics of the separation layer (thickness, porosity, and mean pore size) of the asymmetric membranes were determined by gas permeation method and their cross-section morphologies were examined with a scanning electron microscope. The results reveal that the gas pressure normalized fluxes of the five gases in the three silicone-coated PESf asymmetric membranes are nearly independent of pressure and did not exhibit the dual-mode behavior. The activation energies of permeation in the silicone-coated asymmetric membranes may be larger or smaller than those of PESf dense membrane, which is controlled by the membrane physical structure (skin layer and sublayer structure). Permselectivities for the gas pairs H₂/N₂, He/N₂, CO₂/N₂, and O₂/N₂ are also presented and their temperature dependency addressed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 837–846, 1997     

Gas transport properties of polyaniline membranes

The transport properties of He, H₂, CO₂, O₂, N₂, and CH₄ gases in solvent cast, HCl doped, and undoped polyaniline (PANi) membranes were determined. Measurements were carried out at 40 psi pressure from 19°C to 60°C. An excellent correlation was found between the diffusion coefficients and the molecular diameters of gases. The solubility coefficients of gases were found to correlate with their boiling points or critical temperatures. The sepa-ration factors for CO₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄ are dominated by the high solubility of CO₂. These correlations enable us to predict the permeability, diffusion, and solubility coefficients of other gases. After the doping-undoping process, the fluxes of gases with kinetic diameters smaller than 3.5 Å increased but those of larger gases decreased. This results in a higher separation factor for a gas pair involving a small gas molecule and a larger one. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effect of doping treatment on gas transport properties and on separation factors of polyaniline memebranes

Gas permeation experiments of H₂, O₂, CO₂, N₂, and CH₂ were carried out with freestanding films of the conjugated polymer polyaniline (PANi). At first annealed to remove residual solvent, PANi membranes were doped (i.e., protonated) in a strongly acidic medium (HCl 4M), undoped in a basic medium (NH₄OH 1M), and redoped in a slightly acidic medium (HCl 10^?2M). Protonation and deprotonation kinetics were studied by elementary analysis Gas permeation experiments were performed with the annealed, doped, undoped, and redoped PANi films. The gas transport mechanism was clearly influenced by the diffusivity factor and it obeyed a Fickian diffusion model. From the variations in permeability coefficients with the doping treatment, gases could be divided in two subgroups comprising H₂, O₂, and CO₂ on one hand and N₂ and CH₄ on the other. After the doping–undoping–redoping process, gas fluxes were increased by 15% for the smaller gases and were decreased by 45% for the larger gases. As a consequence gas separation factors were approximately doubled for a gas pair involving the two subgroups and these were unchanged for a gas pair involving only one subgroup. The highest O₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄ selectivity coefficients were, respectively, equal to 14 and 78. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.