Carbon Membranes Prepared from a Polymer Blend of Polyethylene Glycol and Polyetherimide

• Published in: Chemical engineering & technology Vol. 40; no. 1; pp. 94 - 102
• Main Authors: Zainal, Wan Nurul Huda Wan, Tan, Soon Huat, Ahmad, Mohd Azmier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY‐VCH Verlag 01.01.2017; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Aluminum oxide; Carbon; Carbon dioxide; Carbon membrane; Carbonization; Chemical synthesis; CO2 separation; Dip coatings; Immersion coating; Membranes; Molecular sieving; Permeability; Permeation; Polyetherimide; Polyetherimides; Polyethylene glycol; Polyethylenes; Polymer blend; Polymer blends; Porosity; Thermal stability
• ISSN: 0930-7516; 1521-4125
• DOI: 10.1002/ceat.201500752

Through a dip‐coating technique, carbon membranes were produced from a polymer blend consisting of the thermally stable polymer polyetherimide (PEI) and the thermally labile polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG). The PEG/PEI carbon membranes were synthesized on an alumina support coated with an Al2O3 intermediate layer. The polymer blend ratio and carbonization temperature influenced the structure and permeation performance of the derived carbon membranes. The porosity of the PEG/PEI carbon membranes increased with higher PEG content in the blends. However, the derived carbon membranes tended to lose gas permeability with raising the carbonization temperatures. The carbon membranes were successfully optimized in order to achieve the highest CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2 selectivities. Carbon membranes were prepared by carbonization of the thermally stable polyetherimide blended with the thermally labile polyethylene glycol and experimentally characterized. Permeation tests with single gases revealed that the addition of polyethylene glycol to the blend enhanced both the gas permeabilities and ideal selectivities of the produced carbon membranes.