Fluorine treatment for membrane

Abstract

The gas sorption and transport properties of a series of polysulphones with tetramethyl ring substitution are reported. The results for tetramethylhexafluorobisphenol A polysulphone (TMHFPSF) and tetramethylbisphenol F polysulphone (TMPSF-F) are compared to tetramethylbisphenol A polysulphone (TMPSF) and bisphenol A polysulphone (PSF). The effect of the substituents on chain mobility and chain packing has been related to the gas transport properties. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were used to judge chain mobility, while X-ray diffraction and free-volume calculations give information about chain packing. Permeability measurements were made for He, H2, O2, N2, CH4 and CO2 at 35°C over a range of pressures up to 20 atm. Sorption experiments were also done for N2, CH4 and CO2 under the same conditions. The permeability coefficients of the methyl-substituted polymers rank in the order TMHFPSF ⪢ TMPSF > TMPSF-F for all of the gases. This is the same order as the unsubstituted materials, hexafluorobisphenol A polysulphone (HFPSF), PSF and bisphenol F polysulphone (PSF-F), which suggests that the effects of tetramethyl substitution are somewhat additive with other structural modifications. Relative gas permeability values are in agreement with relative fractional free-volume values as well as with γ transition temperatures.