Separation characteristics of tetrapropylammoniumbromide templating silica/alumina composite membrane in CO2/N2, CO2/H2 and CH4/H2 systems

Abstract

Nanoporous silica membrane without any pinholes and cracks was synthesized by organic templating method. The tetrapropylammoniumbromide (TPABr)-templating silica sols were coated on tubular alumina composite support ( γ-Al2O3/ α-Al2O3 composite) by dip coating and then heat-treated at 550 °C. By using the prepared TPABr templating silica/alumina composite membrane, adsorption and membrane transport experiments were performed on the CO2/N2, CO2/H2 and CH4/H2 systems. Adsorption and permeation by using single gas and binary mixtures were measured in order to examine the transport mechanism in the membrane. In the single gas systems, adsorption characteristics on the α-Al2O3 support and nanoporous unsupport (TPABr templating SiO2/ γ-Al2O3 composite layer without α-Al2O3 support) were investigated at 20–40 °C conditions and 0.0–1.0 atm pressure range. The experimental adsorption equilibrium was well fitted with Langmuir or/and Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm models. The α-Al2O3 support had a little adsorption capacity compared to the unsupport which had relatively larger adsorption capacity for CO2 and CH4. While the adsorption rates in the unsupport showed in the order of H2> CO2> N2> CH4 at low pressure range, the permeate flux in the membrane was in the order of H2≫N2> CH4> CO2. Separation properties of the unsupport could be confirmed by the separation experiments of adsorbable/non-adsorbable mixed gases, such as CO2/H2 and CH4/H2 systems. Although light and non-adsorbable molecules, such as H2, showed the highest permeation in the single gas permeate experiments, heavier and strongly adsorbable molecules, such as CO2 and CH4, showed a higher separation factor (CO2/H2=5-7, CH4/H2=4-9). These results might be caused by the surface diffusion or/and blocking effects of adsorbed molecules in the unsupport. And these results could be explained by surface diffusion.