Ultrathin Multicomponent Poly(ether sulfone) Membranes for Gas Separation Made by Dry/Wet Phase Inversion

Ingo Pinnau*, Jan Wind, Klaus-Victor Georg Peinemann

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

77 Scopus citations

Abstract

Asymmetric gas separation membranes were prepared by a dry/wet phase inversion process using poly(ether sulfone) as membrane-forming material. Variations in the composition of multicomponent casting solutions and choice of the coagulation medium resulted in membranes with drastically different gas separation properties. Optimized integral-asymmetric poly(ether sulfone) membranes coagulated in methanol had pressure-normalized CO2fluxes of 7.2 x 10-5cm3(STP)/ (cm2•s•cmHg) and a CO2/N2selectivity of 40. However, asymmetric membranes coated with a thin layer of silicone rubber showed substantially improved gas separation performance. Poly(ether sulfone)/silicone multicomponent membranes showed pressure-normalized CO2fluxes of up to 6.2 X 10-5cm3(STP)/(cm2•s•cmHg) combined with a CO2/N2selectivity of 60, essentially equal to the intrinsic permselectivity of poly (ether sulfone). The estimated, effective skin thickness of these membranes is on the order of 500 Å. Pressure-normalized fluxes of poly(ether sulfone) membranes made by dry/wet phase inversion are equal to or higher than those of graded density skin membranes made by a traditional wet phase inversion process using Lewis acid-Lewis base complex solvent systems.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2028-2032
Number of pages5
JournalIndustrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
Volume29
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1990

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • General Chemical Engineering
  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

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