Fabrication and Characterization of Synthesized Polysulfone/Polyvinylacetate Blend Membranes

Asim Mushtaq,Azmi Mohd Shariff,Hilmi Mukhtar

doi:10.19026/rjaset.7.648

Asim Mushtaq, Azmi Mohd Shariff + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.19026/rjaset.7.648

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Abstract

In gas separation, the trade off limitations of polymeric membranes and economical consideration of inorganic membranes motivated the researchers to search for alternative approaches. Membranes with high selectivity and high permeability are required. Different modifications are in practice to improve the performance of membranes like mixed matrix, cross linking, grafting, polymer blending, making composite or hybrid membrane. It will be possible to develop polymeric blend membrane for separating high pressure gas streams at their processing pressure. This advantage could offer cost savings that may provide a new incentive for polymeric blend membranes. This result opens a new tool for studying gas separation by polymeric blend membranes. In this context blending of glassy and rubbery polymer that is Polysulfone and Polyvinyl acetate in dimethyl acetamide solvent, flat sheet membranes were developed with desirable properties. Membranes were synthesized with different blending ratios and the developed membranes were characterized by Fourier Transformed Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Gas Permeability to study the effect of blend ratio on different properties.

Highlights

Membrane technology is very effective for separation of CO2 from CH4 and has been practiced for many years
Performance of polymeric membranes is limited under harsh operating conditions e.g., for CO2 separation at high pressures there is a radical decrease in selectivity of membranes due to highly plasticization behavior of CO2 (Khan et al, 2011)
Polymeric membranes perform their process by different mechanisms which are based upon the properties of membrane means physical and chemical structure

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Membrane technology is very effective for separation of CO2 from CH4 and has been practiced for many years. Performance of polymeric membranes is limited under harsh operating conditions e.g., for CO2 separation at high pressures there is a radical decrease in selectivity of membranes due to highly plasticization behavior of CO2 (Khan et al, 2011) Polymeric membranes perform their process by different mechanisms which are based upon the properties of membrane means physical and chemical structure. There is a general tradeoff between permeability and selectivity for polymeric membranes with rubbery polymeric membranes with high permeability and low selectivity and vice versa for glassy polymeric membranes In this context polymer blending means individual blend of glassy and rubbery offers time and cost effective method to develop materials with desirable properties and the upper bound line is cross. Effect of blending of a glassy and a rubbery polymer on the performance of polymeric membrane should be research so that a membrane with high selectivity and high permeability could be developed.

METHODOLOGY

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION