Gas sorption and diffusion processes in polymer matrices at high pressures

A theoretical approach has been developed to describe the processes of gases diffusion and sorption in rubbery and glassy polymers. Various models (Flory-Huggins, dual-mode sorption, gas-polymer-matrix) used for interpreting the sorption-diffusion experiments are discussed within this approach framework. Experimental data on carbon dioxide sorption in glassy and rubbery polymers have been considered using the proposed approach. The comparison of the experimental and theoretical data has permitted to make the conclusion on the developed concepts adequacy. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35 : 1339–1348, 1997     

Simultaneous in situ measurement of sorption and swelling of polymers in gases and supercritical fluids

In this work, a novel method to simultaneously measure in situ swelling and sorption of gases and supercritical fluids in polymers in a commercially available apparatus is proposed. A gravimetric approach reported recently is applied to measure sorption whereas swelling is determined in situ by direct visualization. The proposed method has been used to study the sorption and swelling of carbon dioxide in poly (methyl methacrylate) and the obtained results are compared to previously published literature data. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

Gravimetric characterisation of the surface properties of a porous drug carrier

The gas adsorption method is the most common means to characterise the topology of solid surfaces with regard to its use as an adsorbent. Adsorption isotherms are determined advanta-geously using a vacuum microbalance: Thermogravimetric techniques allow the observation of sample degassing and its optimization. The dry mass is determined in situ, the mass of gas adsorbed is measured directly and different gases can be used without calibration. From the isotherm the pore size distributions, specific surface area, fractal dimension and density can be derived. Commercially available gravimetric sorption apparata and vacuum balances as well as software for data evaluation are reviewed in tables. The sorption analysis of an aluminum oxide is presented. The porous material was used as a matrix for a slow drug release.     

氨基修饰聚苯乙烯树脂对酚酸物质的吸附性能

通过对XAD 4聚苯乙烯树脂的氨基修饰制备了一种亲水性的NDA 10 0树脂 .研究了NDA 10 0树脂对苯酚和对羟基苯甲酸等酚酸类物质的吸附动力学和热力学行为 .结果表明 ,NDA 10 0树脂对苯酚和对羟基苯甲酸具有良好的吸附性能 ,在研究的浓度范围内 ,吸附平衡数据符合Langmuir和Freundlich等温吸附方程 ,吸附为放热的物理吸附过程 .吸附动力学符合Lagergren准二级速率方程 ,颗粒内扩散为吸附速率的主要控制步骤 .     

Sorption rate and thermal barriers in a gas-zeolite system: investigation of n-hexane sorption in MFI-type zeolite

The nonequilibrium gravimetric sorption method was used to determine diffusion coefficient values for n-hexane in MFI-type materials. Improvements in the measurement device and experimental conditions resulted in high values of the corrected diffusion coefficient, which are comparable to the literature data obtained by the methods of pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG NMR) and frequency response (FR). The results indicate that thermal effects of sorption affect practically neither the rate of the sorption nor the diffusion coefficient.     

ND-100超高交联吸附树脂对水中苯酚的吸附行为研究

通过静态吸附试验，研究了ND－100超高交联树脂对水溶液中苯酚的吸附动力学和热力学特性，探讨了初始浓度对吸附过程的影响。结果表明 ND－100树脂对苯酚的吸附速率同时受液膜扩散和颗粒内扩散过程控制。吸附符合Langmuir和Freundlich等温吸附方程，吸附量随着温度的升高而降低，随着平衡浓度的增大而增大，吸附表现为放热的物理吸附过程。     

大孔吸附树脂对邻甲酚的吸附行为研究

研究了大孔吸附树脂NDA—909吸附水溶液中邻甲酚的热力学特征，并与Amberlite XAD—4树脂进行了比较．通过吸附动力学实验，初步探讨了初始温度对吸附过程的影响。结果表明，NDA—909对邻甲酚的吸附符合Freundlich经验公式，表现为放热的物理吸附过程．此外吸附速率受颗粒内扩散和其它类型扩散的共同控制。     

Temperature and concentration dependence of diffusion coefficients in ethylene–propylene-diene copolymers

Self-diffusion and partition coefficients were measured for two commercial ethylene–propylene-diene copolymers (EPDM) and five solvents at infinite dilution using inverse gas chromatography. Mutual diffusion coefficients for solvents in EPDM also were measured for finite concentration using gravimetric sorption for three of the solvents. From the inverse gas chromatography experimental values for self-diffusion coefficients were obtained. Free-volume parameters were obtained through regression of the self-diffusion coefficient as a function of temperature. Mutual diffusion coefficients as a function of concentration were predicted using free volume theory and compared with experimental data obtained using gravimetric sorption. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 1713–1719, 1998     

Measuring the diffusion of noble gases through a porous medium using prompt gamma activation analysis

Detection of anthropogenic noble gas isotopes in the atmosphere is an important indication that a below ground nuclear-test has taken place. Diffusion plays a critical role in the transport of these gases through the geological media to the surface where they can be detected. Better techniques are need with which to study the diffusion of noble gases through porous systems. Here we demonstrate the suitability of using prompt gamma activation analysis to measure the time dependent concentration of argon as a result of its diffusion through a porous medium that is saturated with nitrogen at atmospheric pressure. The experiments were conducted in a 1 m long tube, 10 cm diameter, and packed with fine SiO₂ sand. Prompt gamma activation analysis was used to measure the concentration of argon within the experimental system as a function of time.     

苯在酸碱处理多级孔Y分子筛上的吸附及传质行为

利用H_4EDTA-NaOH共处理的方法制备了具有不同孔径分布的多级微-介孔NaY分子筛。运用XRD、N_2吸附、SEM、TEM对其结构进行了表征。采用频率响应(FR)和智能重量分析仪(IGA)技术研究了苯在改性后的多级孔NaY分子筛及微孔NaY分子筛上的吸附和传质性能。结果表明,适当的酸碱处理不会改变分子筛的晶体结构,但可调变NaY分子筛的精细结构;介孔的引入降低了分子在孔道中的扩散阻力,较大的孔径和较好的孔道贯通性有利于扩散和吸附中心的可接近性;对于微孔NaY分子筛,苯在分子筛上的吸附过程为其传质过程的速控步骤,对于酸碱处理的多级孔NaY分子筛,分子筛颗粒中微/介孔内的扩散过程及分子筛微-介孔孔道间的分子交换过程是传质过程的速控步骤。     

Improvement in gas separation properties of a polymeric membrane through the incorporation of inorganic nano‐particles

The present work tries to introduce a high‐performance nano‐composite membrane by using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as its main polymer matrix to meet some specific requirements in industrial gas separations. Different nano‐composite membranes were synthesized by incorporating various amounts of nano‐sized silica particles into the PDMS matrix. A uniform dispersion of nano‐particles in the host membranes was obtained. The nano‐composite membranes were characterized morphologically by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Separation properties, permeability, and ideal selectivity of C₃H₈, CH₄, and H₂ through the synthesized nano‐composite membranes with different nano‐particle contents (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 wt%) were investigated at different pressures (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 atm) and constant temperature (35°C). It was found out that a 2 wt% loading of nano‐particles into the PDMS matrix is optimal to obtain the best separation performance. Afterwards, sorption experiments for the synthesized nano‐composite membranes were carried out, and diffusion coefficients of the gases were calculated based on solution‐diffusion mechanism. Gas permeation and sorption experiments showed an increase in sorption and a decrease in diffusion coefficients of the gases through the nano‐composite membranes by adding nano‐particles into the host polymer matrix. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Diffusion of organic vapors at low concentrations in glassy PVC, polystyrene, and PMMA

Diffusion coefficients of various C₁ to C₆ organic vapors, at concentrations 0.5 wt. percent, have been determined by gravimetric sorption rate measurements on emulsion and suspension-polymerized powder samples of PVC, polystyrene, and PMMA. Fickian diffusion kinetics were observed at the lowest concentrations, with a second-stage, relaxation-controlled sorption appearing at higher concentrations. In conjunction with published data for diffusivities of fixed gases in these polymers, the results indicate that diffusivity decreases exponentially, and that diffusion activation energy (E_D) increases linearly, with increasing diameter of “spherical” penetrant molecules (e.g., the noble gases, CH₄, SF₆, CCl₄, and neopentane). Much of the observed scatter in these correlations is attributable to uncertainty in the molecular diameters. For C₄ and larger n-alkanes and other elongated or flattened molecules, diffusivities are higher, and E_D lower, than for spherical molecules of similar molar volume. This finding suggests that anisometric molecules are oriented and move along their long axes during diffusion through the glassy polymer matrix. Correlations of diffusivities with molecular dimensions suggests that transport of anisometric molecules is governed by a diameter smaller than the mean (equivalent sphere) diameter but larger than the minimum dimension of their extended-chain conformation. Among the three polymers studied, diffusivity of each penetrant, at a given temperature, decreases in the order polystyrene> PVC ≥ PMMA.     

Equilibrium, kinetics, mechanism, and process design for the sorption of methylene blue onto rice husk

Batch experiments were carried out for the sorption of methylene blue onto rice husk particles. The operating variables studied were initial solution pH, initial dye concentration, adsorbent concentration, and contact time. Equilibrium data were fitted to the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm equations and the equilibrium data were found to be well represented by the Langmuir isotherm equation. The monolayer sorption capacity of rice husks for methylene blue sorption was found to be 40.5833 mg/g at room temperature (32 degrees C). The sorption was analyzed using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models and the sorption kinetics was found to follow a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Also the applicability of pseudo second order in modeling the kinetic data was also discussed. The sorption process was found to be controlled by both surface and pore diffusion with surface diffusion at the earlier stages followed by pore diffusion at the later stages. The average external mass transfer coefficient and intraparticle diffusion coefficient was found to be 0.01133 min(-1) and 0.695358 mg/g min0.5. Analysis of sorption data using a Boyd plot confirms that external mass transfer is the rate limiting step in the sorption process. The effective diffusion coefficient, Di was calculated using the Boyd constant and was found to be 5.05 x 10(-04) cm2/s for an initial dye concentration of 50 mg/L. A single-stage batch-adsorber design of the adsorption of methylene blue onto rice husk has been studied based on the Langmuir isotherm equation.     

Cesium removal from solution using PAN-based potassium nickel hexacyanoferrate (II) composite spheres

A polyacrylonitrile–potassium nickel hexacyanoferrates composite adsorbent was prepared to remove cesium ion in aqueous solution. The dual nozzle technique was applied to prepare a composite sphere. The physicochemical behavior of the ion exchanger was specified with different techniques including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, specific surface analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy analysis. The effects of contact time, solution initial pH, presence of various cations and initial cesium concentration on the adsorption was also investigated and the optimum conditions for separation of cesium were determined. In addition, adsorption kinetics and adsorption mechanism were studied by modeling the experimental data and related parameters were also evaluated, which showed that sorption data fitted to pseudo-second-order and film diffusion models. Adsorption isotherm in batch experiments showed that the sorption data were successfully fitted with Langmuir model. Finally the adsorption dynamic capacities of the synthesized composite in column experiments were evaluated at 139.925 and 119.539 mg/g for flow rate of 1 and 3 BV/min, respectively.     

Magnetic Suspension Balance For Simultaneous Measurement of a Sample and the Density of the Measuring Fluid

This paper deals with gravimetric measurements of adsorption equilibria of gases on the surface of porous solids with a new type of magnetic suspension balance. Items discussed include the measurement of adsorption data at high pressure and temperature as well as the simultaneous measurement of adsorption and the density of the adsorptive gas using only one magnetic suspension balance. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Use of a magnetic suspension microbalance to measure organic vapor sorption for evaluating the impact of polymer converting process

A gravimetric analyzer consisting of a magnetic suspension balance was set up to study the sorption kinetics of benzaldehyde in various forms of polypropylene (PP), including resin, sheet and thermoformed container. Instrument noise was determined throughout the experiments over a maximum of 4000 min or until equilibrium was reached. The sorption of benzaldehyde by PP resin exhibited Fickian sorption kinetics at low vapor activities (0.1–0.5). However, at high vapor activities (0.7 and 0.9), a two-stage sorption involving Fickian diffusion during the initial sorption, followed by a protracted polymer relaxation, which enhanced the sorption capacity, was observed. The converting process of PP resin into sheets and thermoformed containers had a significant impact on the benzaldehyde sorption profile. Benzaldehyde exhibited a much higher solubility in extruded sheet and thermoformed container than in the resin.     

Diffusion properties of dye molecules in nanoporous TiO2 networks

The adsorption of ruthenium-dye molecules out of ethanol solution onto TiO2 particles of nanoporous TiO2 films was used to study the molecules' diffusion through these layers by means of optical absorption spectrometry. Dependent on pore size, porosity, and particle size, effective diffusion constants as low as D(eff) = 4 x 10(-9) cm2/s were deduced from the uptake curves by applying a simple model for combined diffusion and adsorption. These diffusion constants for diffusion through the nanoporous network are up to 3 orders of magnitude lower than in bulk ethanol and are discussed with respect to the properties of the nanoporous material.     

Sorption of methane,ethane, propane,butane, carbon dioxide,and nitrogen on kerogen

Sorption isotherms of nitrogen, methane (in the pressure range of 0.1–40 MPa), ethane (0.1–3.7MPa), propane (0.01–1 MPa), butane (0.01–0.2 MPa), and carbon dioxide (0.1–6 MPa) are measured on two adsorbents with kerogen contents of 16 and 75% at temperatures of 303, 323, 343 K. Adsorption volumes are calculated for all adsorption systems using two independent methods. The BET technique is used to determine the surface area values of the two adsorbents on the basis of sorption data for ethane, propane, butane, and carbon dioxide. The initial and isosteric adheat of sorption values are calculated on the basis of sorption isotherms of ethane, propane, butane, carbon dioxide measured at three temperatures. It is found from comparing the dependences of isosteric heat of sorption on the two adsorbents that molecules of the above gases diffuse into its bulk (adsorbent 2) in addition to sorbing on the outside surface formed by kerogen molecules, while sorption of the same gases on the rock (adsorbent 1) is similar to sorption on a smooth hard adsorbent surface.     

Water sorption and transport in a series of polysulfones

Water sorption and transport properties for a series of polysulfones are presented and interpreted in terms of the changes in the structure of the repeat unit compared to that of bisphenol A polysulfone. The differences between the sorption and diffusion of water and of permanent gases in these materials are also discussed. Water has the ability to interact with the polymer and with itself through hydrogen bonding in a way that permanent gases cannot. The equilibrium solubility of water in the polymer, unlike permanent gases, does not have a simple dependence on free volume but correlates more strongly with the frequency of hydrogen bonding sites on the polymer. Analysis of the sorption isotherms using the method of Zimm and Lundberg suggests that water molecules cluster in these polysulfones to various extents. For each polysulfone except polyethersulfone, the water diffusion coefficient decreases with increasing activity, which also suggests water clustering. For most of these materials, the water diffusion coefficient is larger than that of bisphenol A polysulfone and is directly related to the polymer free volume. Water permeability in these materials broadly correlates with the polymer free volume, but a favorable water-polymer interaction can be an overriding factor. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Modeling the mechanism involved during the sorption of methylene blue onto fly ash

Batch sorption experiments were carried out to remove methylene blue from its aqueous solutions using fly ash as an adsorbent. Operating variables studied were initial dye concentration, fly ash mass, pH, and contact time. Maximum color removal was observed at a basic pH of 8. Equilibrium data were represented well by a Langmuir isotherm equation with a monolayer sorption capacity of 5.718 mg/g. Sorption data were fitted to both Lagergren first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models and the data were found to follow pseudo-second-order kinetics. Rate constants at different initial concentrations were estimated. The process mechanism was found to be complex, consisting of both surface adsorption and pore diffusion. The effective diffusion parameter D(i) values were estimated at different initial concentrations and the average value was determined to be 2.063 x 10(-9)cm2/s. Analysis of sorption data using a Boyd plot confirms the particle diffusion as the rate-limiting step for the dye concentration ranges studied in the present investigation (20 to 60 mg/L).