Study of CO2 and CH4 Permeation Properties through Prepared and Characterized Blended Pebax-2533/PEG-200 Membranes

Abstract

This study demonstrates how incorporation of polyethylene glycol (PEG-200) into poly (ether-block-amide) (Pebax-2533) can improve the prepared membrane performance in separating CO2from CH4. Additionally, the effect of various PEG-200 loadings on CH4and CO2permeability and CO2/CH4selectivity values was investigated. The prepared membranes were examined using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. Permeation experiments of the gasses through the neat Pebax and the blended (Pebax-2533/PEG-200) membranes were carried out at a temperature of 25 ∘C and pressure range of 2 to 10 bar. The gas permeation experiments indicated that the performance of blended membranes is better than that of the neat membrane. As an example, CO2permeability and ideal CO2/CH4selectivity values for the blended membrane with 40 wt.% of PEG-200 loading are 351.65 and 9.17 Barrer, while those values for the neat membrane are 187.54 and 7.28 Barrer, respectively.