On the gas-separation properties of two-layer porous membranes

The peculiarities of the flows of binary gaseous mixtures through two-layer membranes are investigated at different orientations of the membranes with respect to the flows. The separation properties of the membranes are shown to depend on the membrane orientation and to dramatically decrease when supporting coarse layers are located before the finely disperse active layer with respect to the direction of a gaseous mixture flow through the membrane. The consecutive location of the layers with increasing average pore sizes along the flow direction appears to be more advantageous. The magnitude of the asymmetry effect significantly depends on the parameters that characterize the Knudsen and bulk diffusion and the viscous transfer of a gaseous mixture.     

Influence of the transport direction on gas permeation in two-layer ceramic membranes

Experimental and theoretical results of studying gas permeation through porous membranes are presented. In order to mimic an asymmetric membrane two porous ceramic disks with different pore radii were arranged in series. Besides the possibility to perform conventional permeation measurements, the applied experimental setup permits the determination of the pressure at the interface between the two discs. To predict the performance of the asymmetric structure, in preliminary experiments structure parameters were determined for both membranes separately. For the same total pressure difference across the two-disk arrangement, different interlayer pressures and fluxes were predicted and detected experimentally depending on the flow direction.     

Asymmetry of diffusion permeability of bi-layer membranes

To reveal the reason of asymmetry of the diffusion permeability of bi-layer electrodialysis membranes the following problems have been solved using the model of "homogeneous porous membrane": - diffusion of non-electrolyte solutions across a bi-layer membrane; - diffusion of electrolyte solutions across a non-charged bi-layer membrane; - diffusion of electrolyte solutions across a charged single layer membrane; - diffusion of electrolyte solutions across a charged bi-layer membrane. It is shown that the main factor responsible for the asymmetry is the difference between absolute values of densities of fixed charges (or so called "exchange capacities") of different layers of a membrane under investigation. Only in this case the ratio of the thickness of the membrane layers as well as the ratio of ion diffusivities contributes also to the asymmetry of the diffusion permeability. In the present review we survey and generalize our previous investigations and propose a new theory of asymmetry of diffusion permeability of bi-layer membranes. We have deduced explicit algebraic formulas for the degree of asymmetry of diffusion permeability of bi-layer membranes under consideration.     

Studies on the electrochemical and permeation characteristics of asymmetric charged porous membranes

Asymmetric charged porous membranes were prepared by imbedding 10% (W/W) ion-exchange resin in cellulose acetate binder. Membrane potential and conductance measurements have been carried out in sodium chloride solutions at different concentrations to investigate the relationship between concentration of fixed charges and electrochemical properties of developed nonselective cation- and anion-exchange membranes. Counterion transport number and permselectivity of these membranes were found to vary due to the presence of ion-exchange resin. The hydrodynamic and electroosmotic permeability of sodium chloride solutions has been studied in order to compute equivalent pore radius. For cation- and anion-exchange membranes good agreement was observed between pore radius values estimated from hydrodynamic and electroosmotic permeability coefficient separately, while for nonselective membranes no correlation was found. Membrane conductance data, along with values of concentration of fixed charges, were used for the estimation of the tortuosity factor, salt permeability coefficient, and frictional coefficient between solute and membrane matrix employing an interpretation by nonequilibrium thermodynamic principles based on frictional forces. Moreover, surface morphological studies of these membranes also have been carried out and the membranes were found to be reasonably homogeneous.     

Effect of preparative conditions of a porous surface layer on the hydrogen permeability of palladium/ruthenium alloy membranes

The possibility of producing a porous surface layer on membranes formed from palladium alloys with mercury and lanthanum has been investigated. Membranes with the highest permeability to hdyrogen produced at temperatues in the range 500–550 K with zinc and 560–570 K with copper had maximum surface porosity.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 1308–1312, June, 1991.     

Formation and gas flux of asymmetric PMMA membranes

In the present work, PMMA membranes were prepared by wet phase immersion methods to improve their gas fluxes. It is found that different membrane structure can be obtained by using different nonsolvent-solvent pairs. To completely describe the membrane formation process, the nonsolvent-solvent miscibility and the interfacial polymer concentration in casting solution should be considered accompanied by the ternary phase diagram. A simplified solution-diffusion model was developed to estimate the interfacial polymer concentration. In addition, the effects of adding solvent into the coagulation bath and adding nonsolvent into the casting solution are discussed.     

Thermodynamic model of gas permeability in polymer membranes

A new molecular thermodynamic model is developed of the gas permeability in polymer membranes on the basis of configurational entropy and Flory‐Huggins theory to predict permeability dependence on the concentration of penetrant. Three kinds of configurational entropy are taken into account by this model; that is, the disorientation entropy of polymer, the mixing entropy, and specific interaction entropy of polymer/gas. The validity of the mathematical model is examined against experimental gas permeability for polymer membranes. Agreement between experimental and predicted permeability is satisfactory. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 661–665, 2007     

High pressure gas permeability of microporous carbon membranes

Microporous carbon membranes are prepared, characterised structurally and tested in terms of high pressure CO₂ permeability at temperatures around the critical. A maximum in the permeance versus relative pressure curve is observed in close analogy to the case of mesoporous membranes. This weakens considerably as the temperature is increased above the critical. The results offer significant input for an improved understanding and theoretical modelling of the process and may be potentially useful for the identification of the optimal pressure and temperature conditions for efficient gas separations.     

The effect of matrix structure on the diffusion of fluids in porous media

The effect of matrix structure on the transport properties of adsorbed fluids is studied using computer simulations and percolation theory. The model system consists of a fluid of hard spheres diffusing in a matrix of hard spheres fixed in space. Three different arrangements of the fixed spheres, random, templated, and polymeric, are investigated. For a given matrix volume fraction the diffusion coefficient of the fluid, D, is sensitive to the manner in which the matrix is constructed, with large differences between the three types of matrices. The matrix is mapped onto an effective lattice composed of vertices and bonds using a Voronoi tessellation method where the connectivity of bonds is determined using a geometric criterion, i.e., a bond is connected if a fluid particle can pass directly between the two pores the bond connects, and disconnected otherwise. The percolation threshold is then determined from the connectivity of the bonds. D displays universal scaling behavior in the reduced volume fraction, i.e., D approximately (1-phi(m)phi(c))(gamma), where phi(m) is the matrix volume fraction and phi(c) is the matrix volume fraction at the percolation threshold. We find that gamma approximately 2.2, independent of matrix type, which is different from the result gamma approximately 1.53 for diffusion in lattice models, but similar to that for conduction in Swiss cheese models. Lattice simulations with biased hopping probabilities are consistent with the continuous-space simulations, and this shows that the universal behavior of diffusion is sensitive to details of local dynamics.     

A volume averaging approach for asymmetric diffusion in porous media

Asymmetric diffusion has been observed in different contexts, from transport in stratified and fractured porous media to diffusion of ions and macromolecular solutes through channels in biological membranes. Experimental and numerical observations have shown that diffusion is facilitated in the direction of positive void fraction (i.e., porosity) gradients. This work uses the method of volume averaging in order to obtain effective medium equations for systems with void fraction gradients for passive and diffusive mass transport processes. The effective diffusivity is computed from the solution of an associated closure problem in representative unit cells that allow considering porosity gradients. In this way, the results in this work corroborate previous findings showing that the effective diffusivity exhibits important directional asymmetries for geometries with void fraction gradients. Numerical examples for simple geometries (a section with an obstacle and a channel with varying cross section) show that the diffusion asymmetry depends strongly on the system configuration. The magnitude of this dependence can be quantified from the results in this work.     

Some preliminary investigations by means of gas adsorption on sintered porous membranes for the separation of the uranium isotopes by gaseous diffusion

Colloid and Polymer Science - An introductory investigation of the pore structure of a new type of porous membrane, manufactured by a new method, has been performed. The membranes are suitable for...     

Characterization of substructure resistance in asymmetric gas separation membranes

Gas permeation through a typical state-of-the-art membrane can be described by defining three morphological features: namely skin thickness, skin integrity, and substructure resistance. Traditional gas permeation measurements tend to characterize skin thickness and skin integrity, but not substructure resistance. This presents a serious obstacle to the optimization of advanced hollow fiber membranes, since as skin thicknesses are reduced, substructure resistance becomes an increasingly significant contribution to the overall permeation rate. This paper illustrates how substructure resistance can affect permeation properties and demonstrates a new technique for characterizing this frequently important morphological feature. The technique involves applying a constant transmembrane pressure while varying the average gas pressure within the membrane. Thus, the mean free path of gas molecules permeating through the substructure can be altered while maintaining a constant driving force for permeation. Such experiments characterize the magnitude of the substructure resistance, as well as provide insight into the governing transport mechanism. These constant driving force/variable pressure permeation measurements can estimate the average pressure or mean free path at the transition where substructure resistance becomes negligible. This can then be used to compare the morphological features of different membranes. This technique is demonstrated on well-defined coated ceramic membranes, asymmetric polymeric flat sheet membranes, and asymmetric polymeric hollow fiber membranes.     

等离子体处理对有机硅膜气体透过性能的影响

本文研究了有机硅膜经等离子体处理和等离子体聚合沉积后,气体透过性能的变化。以及放置一段时间后,随着等离子体处理效果的变化,膜的气体透过性能的改变。结果表明无论是Ar等离子体处理的有机硅膜,还是八甲基环四硅氧烷(D_4)等离子体聚合沉积的有机硅膜,其气体透过性能都发生了明显的变化。即经等离子体处理后,膜的气体透过系数下降,选择分离系数上升。在放置一段时间后,其气体透过系数和选择分离系数均表现出有回复的趋势。因此,等离子体处理对膜的气体透过性能的影响随放置时间而变化。     

Effects of adsorbed polyelectrolytes on convective flow and diffusion in porous membranes

Poly(acrylic acid) and poly(styrene sulfonate) were adsorbed from aqueous solutions to track-etched mica membranes with pores of radius 290 to 1400 Å. Effects of the adsorbed polymers on momentum and mass transport within the pores were studied by measuring the decrease in both the hydraulic and diffusional permeabilities caused by the presence of the polymers. The diffusional permeability was determined by measuring the flux of a small, uncharged solute molecule (thiourea). Polymer-free, aqueous solutions of potassium chloride (KCl) were used in all transport experiments. The reduction in hydraulic permeability increased with a decrease in KCl concentration in the range 10^-2 to 10^-1 molarity (M), but was independent of electrolyte concentration below 10^-2 M, presumably because the small pores constrained expansion of the adsorbed polymer chains. Shear thickening effects, that is, a decrease in hydraulic permeability with increasing solvent velocity through the pores, was observed with both polymers at 10^-1 M KCl in pores of 600 Å or smaller. Effects of the polymer on diffusional permeability of thiourea, on the other hand, were relatively insensitive to electrolyte concentration. Perhaps the most significant result is that the reduction in diffusional permeability was substantially less than the reduction in hydraulic permeability at each pore size and electrolyte concentration, indicating that the blockage of momentum transport by these adsorbed polymers is greater than the blockage of diffusion of a small solute. Measurements of thiourea transport by simultaneous diffusion and convection over a range in Peclet numbers from -2 to +2 showed that thiourea was filtered by the polymer. This filtration was probably not due to steric limitations on the thiourea, rather it is likely that thiourea was excluded from the water which solvated densely packed regions of the polymer chains.     

The influence of the porous support layer of composite membranes on the separation of binary gas mixtures

Thin film composite (TFC) membranes exhibit a high flux for gas and vapor permeation and are viable for a wide range of applications. The high flux may also increase the importance of the resistance of the porous support structure depending on the application and process conditions. A comprehensive modeling approach for TFC membranes is introduced, which considers boundary layer resistances near the membrane surface, solution-diffusion through the coating, and the influence of the porous sublayer. Permeation through the support structure is described by the dusty gas model (DGM) with the support treated as a two-layered structure with a dense but porous skin and a more open substructure.The model accurately describes experimental data on TCE/nitrogen separation using a sweep gas on the permeate side very well. The main resistance towards TCE permeation through two different membranes tested is the porous support. It is shown that changes in the support morphology can greatly enhance the performance of the composite membranes. Model calculations were also performed for vacuum assisted permeation. The pressure drop across the support is considerable depending on the coating thickness. The TCE permeation is again dominated by the resistance of the support layer, which can be reduced by altering the morphological parameters of the structure.The proposed model is able to describe the performance of the composite membrane and to identify optimum process conditions for given performance characteristics. It can be used to aid in the development of membrane structures for enhanced performance.     

Solvent-dependent permeability in asymmetric ceramic membranes with tortuous or non-tortuous mesopores

Solvent-dependent transport and the role of surface interactions were examined in commercial mesoporous ceramic membranes using permeability and thermoporometry measurements. The membranes chosen were titania (TiO₂) with tortuous interconnected pores (1, 5, and 50 kDa, corresponding to pore diameters of ca. 8.2, 18.3, and 33.2 nm, respectively) and alumina (Al₂O₃) with non-tortuous 20 nm cylindrical pores. A pre-water/solvent/post-water permeability cycle was employed to account for structural differences between membranes and to gauge the effect of residual solvent on water permeability at different temperatures. Our results suggest that in both types of membranes, restricted permeability of 1-butanol and cyclohexane was due to a combination of surface sorption and an increase in disjoining pressure due to solvation forces. Sorption and solvation forces were prevalent as their length scales were on the same order of magnitude as the pore radii. For 1-butanol, chemisorption changed the surfaces from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, and led to a significant decrease in post-water permeability. While Darcy's law could not describe 1-butanol and cyclohexane permeability, it did apply to water and 1,4-dioxane in the 20 nm alumina membranes. Thermoporometry, coupled with permeability, was further used to evaluate surface wetting within the mesopores.     

Relation between hydraulic permeability and diffusion in homogeneous swollen membranes

The question of viscous flow versus molecular diffusion mechanisms for pressure-induced liquid transport through membranes is critically examined for the specific case of homogeneous swollen membranes. It is shown that previous attempts to compute diffusion coefficients from hydraulic permeabilities for such systems have used an equation which is grossly in error. It estimates diffusion coefficients which are orders of magnitude too high and often exceed self-diffusion coefficients. This has frequently led to the conclusion that viscous flow predominates. The origins of the errors in this equation are indicated, and a substitute equation is developed which gives diffusion coefficients well below that for self-diffusion when applied to literature data. As a result it is concluded that molecular diffusion is the dominant mechanism in homogeneous systems.     

Effect of gelation conditions on gas separation performance for asymmetric polysulfone membranes

Asymmetric gas separation membranes were prepared by the phase inversion technique under different gelation conditions from polysulfone/N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) solutions. The dual bath method was employed to control the skin layer properties: the cast film was immersed in 2-propanol bath and water bath in sequence. The membranes were characterized by the permeance of oxygen and nitrogen gases and the observation with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A thin layer of silicone rubber (PDMS) was laminated on the surface of each asymmetric polysulfone membrane to eliminate the effect of defects in the skin layer. The oxygen permeance was inversely proportional to the square root of immersion time in the first (2-propanol) bath. The skin layer thickness determined by SEM observation increased with an increase in the immersion time in the first bath. For a given immersion time, the oxygen permeance decreased with an increase in the polymer concentration in the casting solution. Selectivity of oxygen over nitrogen also depended both on the immersion time in the first bath and the polymer concentration.