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Fine‐tuned, molecular‐composite, organosilica membranes for highly efficient propylene/propane separation via suitable pore size
Author(s) -
Guo Meng,
Kanezashi Masakoto,
Nagasawa Hiroki,
Yu Liang,
Yamamoto Kazuki,
Gunji Takahiro,
Tsuru Toshinori
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.16850
Subject(s) - permeance , membrane , propane , gas separation , chemical engineering , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , materials science , composite number , polymer chemistry , chemistry , organic chemistry , composite material , permeation , biochemistry , engineering
Fine‐tuned, molecular‐composite, organosilica membranes were fabricated via the co‐condensation of organosilica precursors bis(triethoxysilyl)acetylene (BTESA) and bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene (BTESB). Fourier transform infrared and UV–vis spectra confirmed the co‐condensation behaviors of BTESA and BTESB. The evolution of the network structure indicated that the incorporated BTESB decreased the membrane pore size, which was determined by a modified gas translation model according to the steric effect of the phenyl groups. The incorporation of BTESB to BTESA finely tuned the membrane structure and endowed the resultant composite membrane with improved separation properties. The BTESAB 9:1 membrane (molar ratio of BTESA/BTESB was 9:1) exhibited high C 3 H 6 permeance at 4.5 × 10 −8 mol m −2 s −1 Pa −1 and a C 3 H 6 /C 3 H 8 permeance ratio of 33 at 50°C. One of the most important developments of this study involved clearly defining the relationship between membrane pore size and C 3 H 6 /C 3 H 8 separation performance for organosilica membranes in single and binary separation systems.