Polyethylene/poly (N, N-dimethyl acrylamide) hybrid hydrogel membrane for total heat exchanger

Abstract

For the total heat exchange membrane, there is a compromise effect between the moisture permeability and the gas barrier. To overcome this challenge, a new type of total heat exchange membrane was proposed involving a porous polyethylene (PE) membrane and a hydrophilic poly (N, N-dimethyl acrylamide) (PDMAA) hydrogel. A dense PE/PDMAA composite membrane was fabricated via an in situ photoinitiated free-radical polymerization and cross-linking reaction through a pre-permeation of N, N-dimethyl acrylamide (DMAA) monomers in the porous structure of the PE membrane. In this study, we systematically investigated the effect of varying amounts of PDMAA filler on membrane morphology, hydrophilicity, stability, mechanical properties, water vapor transmission rate, gas barrier property, and total heat exchange efficiency. These results demonstrate that a tight, stable PE/PDMAA hybrid membrane with an interlocked structure has been created. Water vapor diffusion channels and an efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) barrier were successfully constructed through the introduction of a cross-linked PDMAA hydrogel. Improvements in water vapor transmission rate and reduction in CO2 transmission rate were achieved simultaneously with increasing PDMAA filling amount. Excellent mechanical properties and hybrid stability were also observed for the composite membrane obtained. This work provides a novel total heat exchange membrane with convenient production process, low cost and high durability characteristics.