Pebax-Based Composite Membranes with High Transport Properties Enhanced by ZIF-8 for CO₂ Separation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) are crucial for gas separation technologies.
• Poly (ether-block-amide) (Pebax) 1657 is a common polymer matrix for membrane applications.
• Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8) is a promising filler for enhancing membrane performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize novel mixed matrix membranes for CO2 separation.
• To investigate the effects of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and ZIF-8 content on membrane properties.
• To explore the synergistic effects between PEG and ZIF-8 in a Pebax matrix.

Main Methods:

• Membrane preparation via solvent evaporation method.
• Material characterization using TGA, DSC, and SEM.
• Gas permeation measurements for CO2 separation performance evaluation.

Main Results:

• Addition of PEG to Pebax/ZIF-8 blends prevented ZIF-8 particle agglomeration.
• A synergistic effect between PEG and ZIF-8 was observed, tripling permeability (54 to 161 Barrers) at high ZIF-8 content.
• High CO2 selectivity was maintained (e.g., αCO2/N2 = 61).

Conclusions:

• The Pebax/PEG/ZIF-8 system demonstrates a promising approach for developing high-performance CO2 separation membranes.
• CO2 transport mechanism is primarily governed by solubility within the membranes.
• The developed membranes offer high permeability and selectivity for CO2 capture.