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Study of morphology and gas separation properties of polysulfone/titanium dioxide mixed matrix membranes
Author(s) -
Moradihamedani Pourya,
Ibrahim Nor Azowa,
Yunus Wan Md Zin Wan,
Yusof Nor Azah
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.23887
Subject(s) - polysulfone , permeance , materials science , membrane , chemical engineering , gas separation , scanning electron microscope , polymer , titanium dioxide , thermogravimetric analysis , nanoparticle , nanocomposite , composite material , nanotechnology , chemistry , permeation , biochemistry , engineering
Polysulfone (PSf)‐based mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) with the incorporation of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanoparticles were prepared. Distribution and agglomeration of TiO 2 in polymer matrix and also surface of membranes were observed by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X‐ray. Variation in surface roughness of MMMs with different TiO 2 loadings was analyzed by atomic force microscopy. Physical properties of membranes before and after cross‐linking were identified through thermal gravimetric analysis. At low TiO 2 loadings (≤3 wt%), both CO 2 and CH 4 permeabilities decreased and consequently gas selectivity improved and reached to 36.5 at 3 bar pressure. Interestingly, PSf/TiO 2 3 wt% membrane did not allow to CH 4 molecules to pass through the membrane and this sample just had CO 2 permeability at 1 bar pressure. Gas permeability increased considerably at high filler contents (≥5 wt%) and CO 2 permeance reached to 37.7 GPU for PSf/TiO 2 7 wt% at 7 bar pressure. It was detected that, critical nanoparticle aggregation has occurred at higher filler loadings (≥5 wt%), which contributed to formation of macrovoids and defects in MMMs. Accordingly, MMMs with higher gas permeance and lower gas selectivity were prepared in higher TiO 2 contents (≥5 wt%). POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:367–374, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers