Designing 3D Membrane Modules for Gas Separation Based on Hollow Fibers from Poly(4-methyl-1-pentene)

Designing hollow fiber (HF) membrane modules occupies one of the key positions in the development of efficient membrane processes for various purposes. In developing HF membrane modules, it is very important to have a uniform HF distribution and flow mixing in the shell side to significantly improve mass transfer and efficiency. This work suggests the application of different textile 3D HF structures (braided hoses and woven tape fabrics). The 3D structures consist of melt-spun, dense HFs based on poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) (PMP). Since the textile processing of HFs can damage the wall of the fiber or close the fiber bore, the membrane properties of the obtained structures are tested with a CO₂/CH₄ mixture in the temperature range of 0 to 40 °C. It is shown that HFs within the textile structure keep the same transport and separation characteristics compared to initial HFs. The mechanical properties of the PMP-based HFs allow their use in typical textile processes for the production of various membrane structures, even at a larger scale. PMP-based membranes can find application in separation processes, where other polymeric membranes are not stable. For example, they can be used for the separation of hydrocarbons or gas mixtures with volatile organic compounds.