Fabrication of Cellulose Acetate Film through Blending Technique with Palladium Acetate for Hydrogen Gas Separation

• Published in: Energy & fuels Vol. 34; no. 9; pp. 11699 - 11707
• Main Authors: Sajjan, Pradeep, Nayak, Vignesh, Padaki, Mahesh, Zadorozhnyy, V. Yu, Klyamkin, Semen N, Konik, P. A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 17.09.2020
• Subjects: Process Engineering
• ISSN: 0887-0624; 1520-5029
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.0c02030

With the growing demand for fuel and simultaneous pollution caused by the use of traditional fuel sources, the quest for clean energy sources is the biggest challenge forward. This has paved a way for the hydrogen economy. Herein, the successful fabrication of novel cellulose acetate (CA)/palladium acetate (PdOAc)2 blend membranes for hydrogen gas separation with respect to carbon dioxide and methane gases is reported. Pristine CA and CA/(PdOAc)2 blend membranes with various concentrations (0.5, 0.75, and 1 wt %) of (PdOAc)2 were prepared via vapor-induced phase separation (VIPS) method. The membranes were investigated through various techniques such as attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR) spectroscopy to study the interaction between the CA and (PdOAc)2. Then, a morphological study by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) showcased homogeneous blending between CA and (PdOAc)2. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns revealed the characteristic peaks denoting (PdOAc)2 and change in the crystallinity of the membranes upon blending. The alteration in the mechanical strength of the blends due to the incorporation of (PdOAc)2 into the CA matrix was deliberated by tensile strength analysis. Gas experiments showcased permeability in the descending order of H2 > CO2 > CH4, with a selectivity of 2.02, 68.5, and 34 for H2/CO2, H2/CH4, and CO2/CH4 separation respectively for the optimum membrane. The study was able to demonstrate a simple yet effective way to fabricate membranes with decent separation efficiency for hydrogen gas, giving a boost to the ongoing expedition to use hydrogen gas as a fuel.