High performance compatible thiazole-based polymeric blend cellulose acetate membrane as selective CO₂ absorbent and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Developing advanced membranes for efficient gas separation is crucial for environmental applications.
• Polyimine (PM) and cellulose acetate (CA) blends offer tunable properties for membrane technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize novel green blend membranes using ortho-linked thiazole-based polyimine (PM-4) and cellulose acetate (CA).
• To investigate the gas permeation properties, specifically CO2, CH4, and N2, of these membranes under varying conditions.
• To evaluate the thermal stability, morphology, and mechanical properties of the developed membranes.

Main Methods:

• Membrane fabrication via blending cellulose acetate with polyimine (PM-4).
• Thermal analysis using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC).
• Morphological and chemical characterization using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy-Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR).
• Gas permeation tests to determine CO2, CH4, and N2 permeability and selectivity.

Main Results:

• The CA/PM-4 membranes exhibited enhanced CO2 permeability, reaching up to 3000 Barrer for a 1:3 % w/w ratio.
• High selectivity ratios were achieved: CO2/N2 = 59 and CO2/CH4 = 33.7 at 3 bar and 35°C.
• CO2 permeability increased significantly due to plasticization and facilitated transport mechanisms, while CH4 and N2 permeation decreased.
• The membranes demonstrated good thermal stability and mechanical strength.

Conclusions:

• The fabricated CA/PM-4 blend membranes show excellent potential for CO2 separation due to high permeability and selectivity.
• The study highlights the effectiveness of incorporating polyimine into cellulose acetate matrices for advanced gas separation applications.
• Optimized membrane composition and operating conditions can significantly enhance performance for carbon capture technologies.