Inkjet Printing of Microporous Silica Gas Separation Membranes

Abstract

Inkjet printing was applied to manufacture silica‐based gas separation membranes, which were coated on a pore‐graduated alumina substrate with a mesoporous γ‐alumina interlayer. A silica sol diluted by 1‐propanol was used to print the membrane layer followed by thermal treatment in a rapid thermal processing furnace. The membrane thickness was varied between 30 and 110 nm by conducting one, two, and three coating steps. In the latter case, H2 permeance in the range of 2.0 × 10−8–3.3 × 10−8 mol/s·m2·Pa combined with H2/CO2 selectivities in the range of 15–25 were achieved, proving the concept that inorganic gas separation membranes can be successfully processed by inkjet printing.