Poly(vinylalcohol)/poly(ethyleneglycol)/poly(ethyleneimine) blend membranes - structure and CO2 facilitated transport

Poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA)/poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI)/poly(ethyleneglycol) (PEG) blend membranes were prepared by solution casting followed by solvent evaporation. The effects of the blend polymer composition on the membrane structure and CO₂/N₂ permeation characteristics were investigated. IR spectroscopy evidenced strong hydrogen bonding interactions between amorphous PVA and PEI, and weaker interactions between PVA and PEG. DSC studies showed that PVA crystallization was partially inhibited by the interactions between amorphous PVA and PEI blend, in which PEG separated into nodules. The CO₂ permeability decreased with an increase in CO₂ partial pressure in feed gas, while the N₂ permeability remained constant. This result indicated that only CO₂ was transported by the facilitated transport mechanism. The CO₂ and N₂ permeabilities increased monotonically with the PEI content in the blend membranes, whereas the ideal selectivity of CO₂ to N₂ transport showed a maximum. When CO₂ is humidified, its permeability through the blend membranes is much higher than that of dry CO₂, but the change in permeability due to the presence of humidity is reversible.