Mixed matrix membranes incorporated with small pore zeolite UZM-5 for enhanced CO2/CH4 separation

Abstract

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs), which is polymeric matrix incorporated with inorganic filler materials, appear to be potential candidate for CO2 separation. Current work focuses on fabrication of MMMs incorporated with varying loading of small pore zeolite UZM-5 and modified UZM-5 for CO2/CH4 separation. Zeolite UZM-5 was firstly synthesized and then modified by using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). MMMs was fabricated by incorporating zeolite UZM-5 and modified UZM-5 (NH2-UZM-5) into polysulfone (PSF) matrix. Both modified and unmodified zeolite UZM-5 were characterized via Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The fabricated membranes were characterized using FTIR, XRD, TGA and FESEM analysis. The successful synthesis of zeolite UZM-5 was proven by XRD analysis. FESEM analysis of the membranes revealed that the successful the MMMs were successfully fabricated with even distribution of zeolites in the polymer matrix. In CO2 and CH4 gas permeation and separation study for the membranes, the highest CO2/CH4 ideal selectivity of 33.1 was obtained by the MMMs with 1 % NH2-UZM-5, which was a significant enhancement of 212 % in CO2/CH4 ideal selectivity as compared to the pristine PSF membrane.