Role of adsorption and diffusion pathways on the CO2/N2 separation performance of nanocomposite (B)-MFI-alumina membranes

This work reports a detailed study of CO₂ and N₂ adsorption and diffusion pathways on MFI-alumina hollow fibres and their role on both pure and mixture CO₂/N₂ permeation. The hollow fibres have been prepared by pore-plugging hydrothermal synthesis starting from a clear solution with molar composition 1 SiO₂: 0.45 TPAOH: 27·8H₂O: xB(OH)₃ (x=0–0.02), showing a final nanocomposite architecture. A comprehensive screening has been performed to select the most suitable model for describing CO₂ and N₂ adsorption and pure permeation in the (B)-MFI-alumina hollow fibres. The classical Ideal Adsorption Solution Theory (IAST) has been implemented to different permeation models to account for binary CO₂/N₂ permeation within the fibres.