Investigation of Gas Diffusivity and Solubility of PES based Mixed Matrix Membranes Using Commercial SAPO-34 Zeolite

Abstract

Commercialized silicoaluminophosphate-34 (SAPO-34) zeolite was successfully blended in the polyethersulfone (PES) polymer to prepare the mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). The CO2 permeability and CO2/CH4 ideal selectivity of 30 wt% SAPO-34/PES MMM at 0.1 MPa and 35 °C were 15 barrer and 51, respectively. In our previous paper, the PES MMMs using laboratory-made SAPO-34 provided both higher permeability and selectivity than the neat PES membrane. The performance of the commercial SAPO-34 filled MMMs in this study exceeded their performance. We also investigated the performance of these MMMs in terms of gas diffusivity and solubility. The increase in the diffusivity selectivity was greater for the commercial SAPO-34 MMMs than for the laboratory-made SAPO-34 MMMs. The difference was attributed to the amounts of defects. The performance of the MMMs in this study was also superior to that of the reported SAPO-34/PES MMMs in literature where the filler surface was modified to improve the compatibility of the filler and PES matrix. These results suggest that the use of the commercial SAPO-34 and an appropriate surface modification has the potential to improve the performance of the MMMs.

The Functionalization of PES/SAPO-34 Mixed Matrix Membrane with [emim][Tf2N] Ionic Liquid to Improve CO2/N2 Separation Properties

“…Poor adhesion can result in the formation of voids or weak interfaces, reducing the effectiveness of the filler in enhancing the membrane properties. The compatibility between the inorganic dispersed material and the organic dispersive media can lead to interfacial voids between the polymer and zeolite, creating non-selective defects that lower the separation performance of the membrane [9][10][11][12][13][14]. The use of different methods to improve the polymer/filler interaction are reported in the literature, with surface modification being the most common.…”

Performance of amine‐functionalized MIL‐53 incorporated thin‐film nanocomposite Pebax membranes for CO2/CH4 mixed gas separation

“…By raising the NH 2 -MIL53(Al) content, the diffusivity of CO 2 and CH 4 almost remained the same. The free volume of the TFN membrane, diffusion via the MOF pore, and the surface compatibility level between polymer and functional MOF chains all impact diffusivity 78,79. Each of the characteristics mentioned above distinctly affects diffusivity.…”