Incorporation of Inorganic Carbon Nanotubes Fillers into the CA Polymeric Matrix for Improvement in CO₂/N₂ Separation

Title:Incorporation of Inorganic Carbon Nanotubes Fillers into the CA Polymeric Matrix for Improvement in CO₂/N₂ Separation

Volume: 11 Issue: 1

Author(s): Z.A. Jawad, A.L. Ahmad, S.C. Low and S.H.S. Zein

Affiliation:

Keywords: Cellulose acetate membrane, characterization, gas separation, mixed matrix membrane, thin dense skin layer.

Abstract: Among all separation techniques, membrane technology has been shown to reduce CO₂ emissions without any phase changes due to its rapid, energy efficient process. The membrane-based gas separation must consist of a defect-free, thin, dense skin layer that is supported by a porous sub-layer that allows an excellent permeation rate and selectivity. This study is aimed at developing a defect-free, thin-skinned layer of mixed matrix membrane (MMM) from cellulose acetate (CA) polymer and functionalized multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as inorganic filler. The influences of membrane casting thickness (150-300) µm and CA polymer concentration (7-17) wt.% on membrane morphologies were first investigated. The outcome of these dominant parameters were then used to synthesize the MMM. The results showed that the defect-free, thin, dense skin thickness of membrane could be achieved with a casting thickness of 250 µm and CA polymer concentration of 10 wt.%. By considering both dominant parameters, the synthesized MMM proved to have a thin selective layer, whereby it showed a high permeance and selectivity for CO₂/N₂ gas separation.

Cite this article as:

Jawad Z.A., Ahmad A.L., Low S.C. and Zein S.H.S., Incorporation of Inorganic Carbon Nanotubes Fillers into the CA Polymeric Matrix for Improvement in CO₂/N₂ Separation, Current Nanoscience 2015; 11 (1) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573413710666140922224633