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Interfacial Tailoring of Polyether Sulfone-Modified Silica Mixed Matrix Membranes for CO2 Separation
Hafiz Abdul Mannan1,2, Alamin Idris3, Rizwan Nasir4
1Chemical Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar 32610, Perak, Malaysia.
Membranes
|November 24, 2022
Summary
This study developed defect-free organic-inorganic composite membranes using in situ polymerization for enhanced carbon dioxide (CO2) separation. Modified silica in polyether sulfone improved CO2/methane selectivity, showing commercial potential.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Membrane Technology
Background:
- Organic-inorganic composite membranes are crucial for gas separation.
- Interfacial defects in mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) hinder performance.
- Controlling these defects is key to developing efficient separation materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize polyether sulfone (PES)/modified silica MMMs.
- To investigate the effect of in situ polymerization on interfacial morphology.
- To evaluate the CO2/CH4 separation performance of the developed membranes.
Main Methods:
- In situ polymerization of modified sol-gel silica within a polyether sulfone matrix.
- Membrane preparation with varying modified and unmodified silica loadings (2-8 wt.%).
- Characterization using FE-SEM, EDX, FTIR, TGA, and DSC; performance evaluation via permeation tests (5-30 bar).
Main Results:
- Achieved defect-free membranes with uniform particle distribution and no interfacial voids.
- CO2/CH4 selectivity increased with higher loadings of modified silica.
- PES/modified silica MMMs demonstrated superior performance compared to unmodified silica counterparts.
Conclusions:
- In situ polymerization effectively controls interfacial defects in MMMs.
- Tailoring interfacial morphology enhances membrane properties and CO2 separation efficiency.
- PES/modified silica MMMs show promise as commercially viable separation membranes.
