The effects of water vapor on the separation of methane and carbon dioxide by gas permeation through polymeric membranes

The effects of water vapor on the separation of CO₂ and CH₄ using cellulose acetate, polyethersulfone, polysulfone and sulfolene modified poly(vinylidene fluoride) membranes were determined. Response surfaces of flux on a dry basis and separation factor clearly show the effects of feed gas water vapor content and temperature on the permeation characteristics of the film. Strong trends of a plasticizing effect due to the concentration of water in the membranes were apparent. In general, in the commercial films, the flux went through a maximum with increasing feed water content while the separation factor decreased. These variables changed little in the sulfolene modified film. At 90°C, water permeation accounted for up to 35 percent of the total permeate.