Abstract
The emulsion polymerized mixed matrix (EPMM) method is a new approach to prepare nanocomposite membranes, in which inorganic nanoparticles are synthesized in situ at the interface of a dispersed aqueous phase in a continuous phase of polymer solution. In this paper, we report the synthesis and characterization of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO)-based EPMM membranes, in which silica nanoparticles are synthesized by the polymerization of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) in the presence of two different co-solvents, ethanol and acetone, which are soluble in both the aqueous phase and the polymer solution. The EPPM membranes prepared in the presence of acetone show greater conversions of TEOS and a different structure of the synthesized silica nanoparticles compared to the EPMM membranes prepared in the presence of ethanol. The former membranes are both more permeable and more selective for O2/N2 and CO2/CH4. Both types of EPMM membranes are more permeable than the reference PPO membranes. However, while their O2/N2 selectivity is practically unchanged, their CO2/CH4 selectivity is decreased compared to the reference PPO membranes.
Highlights
In the last two decades, gas separation by polymeric membranes is one of the fastest-growing branches of membrane technology [1,2,3,4]
The mixed matrix membranes (MMM), which are sometimes referred to as hybrid membranes and more recently as nanocomposite membranes, are composed of inorganic nanoscale particles dispersed in an organic polymer matrix
This study revealed that separating the hydrolysis and condensation reactions had led to greater conversions of TEOS, the glass transition temperature (Tg )
Summary
In the last two decades, gas separation by polymeric membranes is one of the fastest-growing branches of membrane technology [1,2,3,4]. Polymeric membranes are advantageous due to their flexibility, processability, ability to withstand high pressures, and lower energy consumption compared to other unit operations [5,6]. The mixed matrix membranes (MMM), which are sometimes referred to as hybrid membranes and more recently as nanocomposite membranes, are composed of inorganic nanoscale particles dispersed in an organic polymer matrix. These are seen as a way of combining the advantages of inorganic materials with those of organic polymers, in particular to solve the trade-off problem [6,10,11,12]
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