The Preparation and Properties of Nanocomposite from Bio-Based Polyurethane and Graphene Oxide for Gas Separation.

Yongsheng Zhang,Qian Li,Youwei Wen,Yatao Zhang,Xiaoling Zhang,Jun Ma,Na Zhao,Yao Bai,Liuhe Wei

doi:10.3390/nano9010015

Abstract

Petroleum depletion and climate change have inspired research on bio-based polymers and CO2 capture. Tung-oil-based polyols were applied to partially replace polyether-type polyols from petroleum for sustainable polyurethane. Tung-oil-based polyurethane (TBPU), was prepared via a two-step polycondensation, that is, bulk prepolymerization and chain extension reaction. The graphene oxide (GO) was prepared via Hummer’s method. Then, TBPU was composited with the GO at different ratios to form a TBPU/GO hybrid film. The GO/TBPU films were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), followed by the measurement of mechanical properties and gas permeability. The results showed that the addition of tung-oil-based polyols enhanced the glass transition temperature and thermal stability of TBPU. The mechanical properties of the hybrid film were significantly improved, and the tensile strength and elongation at break were twice as high as those of the bulk TBPU film. When the GO content was higher than 2.0%, a brittle fracture appeared in the cross section of hybrid film. The increase of GO content in hybrid films improved the selectivity of CO2/N2 separation. When the GO content was higher than 0.35%, the resulting GO agglomeration constrained the gas separation and permeation properties.

Highlights

Growing concerns over climate changes and the desire to reduce the dependence on crude oil have intensified worldwide interest in green chemicals and materials from renewable biomass [1,2].continuous attention has been paid to the greenhouse effect caused by CO2 emissions owing to the increasing use of fossil fuels
The results showed that hybrid membranes containing well-distributed graphene oxide (GO) exhibited enhanced permeability and selectivity for CO2
Graphene oxide was mixed with Tung-oil-based polyurethane (TBPU) to show that the addition of tung-oil-based polyurethane improved thermal stability; the thermal stability of the hybrid membrane was enhanced when graphene oxide was added

Summary

Introduction

Growing concerns over climate changes and the desire to reduce the dependence on crude oil have intensified worldwide interest in green chemicals and materials from renewable biomass [1,2].continuous attention has been paid to the greenhouse effect caused by CO2 emissions owing to the increasing use of fossil fuels. Growing concerns over climate changes and the desire to reduce the dependence on crude oil have intensified worldwide interest in green chemicals and materials from renewable biomass [1,2]. The capture and removal of CO2 from gas mixture has gained worldwide attention [3]. Membrane separation of CO2 is an energy-saving technology and is advantageous because of its simple device, low cost and high efficiency. The materials for CO2 separation mainly include polymeric membrane, molecular sieve membrane, facilitated transport membrane, and organic-inorganic hybrid membrane. The membrane material can be determined based on the specific different separation process [4]. Polymeric materials have been frequently used in this area, and the separation principle was mainly based on the solution–diffusion mechanism

Methods

Results

Conclusion