TUNABLE COMPOSITE MEMBRANES FOR GAS SEPARATIONS

Smooth, dense, uniformly thick membranes were solution cast from poly(3-octylthiophene) (POT) and their permeability properties were investigated for N{sub 2}, O{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, and CO{sub 2} (P{sub N{sub 2}} = 5.8 {+-} 0.4, P{sub O{sub 2}} = 15.6 {+-} 0.8, P{sub CH{sub 4}} = 17.8 {+-} 1.4, P{sub CO{sub 2}} = 63.6 {+-} 2.2 Barrers), and selectivity properties were calculated ({alpha}{sub O{sub 2}/N{sub 2}} = 2.7 {+-} 0.2, {alpha}{sub CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2}} = 11.2 {+-} 0.8, {alpha}{sub CO{sub 2}/CH{sub 4}} = 3.6 {+-} 0.2). NaY/POT composite membranes (20, 30, and 40% w/w zeolite) were prepared by stirring the polymer into a zeolitic suspension. Facilitated transport of gases (N{sub 2}, O{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, and CO{sub 2}) was observed for each of the zeolite loadings, the magnitude of which depended on the chemical nature of the gas and polymer/zeolite-penetrant interaction. Maximum facilitation was observed for 40% NaY/POT composite membranes (Facilitation ratio of N{sub 2} = 0.38 {+-} 0.03, O{sub 2} = 0.56 {+-} 0.02, CH{sub 4} = 0.13 {+-} 0.01, CO{sub 2} = 0.71 {+-} 0.02). An increase in the selectivity of gases was also observed for all zeolite loadings