Mixed matrix membranes incorporated with small pore zeolite UZM-5 for enhanced CO2/CH4 separation
Vinosha Viriya, Thiam Leng Chew, Qi Hwa Ng, Chii‐Dong Ho, Zeinab Abbas Jawad
Abstract
Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs), which is polymeric matrix incorporated with inorganic filler materials, appear to be potential candidate for CO 2 separation. Current work focuses on fabrication of MMMs incorporated with varying loading of small pore zeolite UZM-5 and modified UZM-5 for CO 2 /CH 4 separation. Zeolite UZM-5 was firstly synthesized and then modified by using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). MMMs was fabricated by incorporating zeolite UZM-5 and modified UZM-5 (NH 2 -UZM-5) into polysulfone (PSF) matrix. Both modified and unmodified zeolite UZM-5 were characterized via Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The fabricated membranes were characterized using FTIR, XRD, TGA and FESEM analysis. The successful synthesis of zeolite UZM-5 was proven by XRD analysis. FESEM analysis of the membranes revealed that the successful the MMMs were successfully fabricated with even distribution of zeolites in the polymer matrix. In CO 2 and CH 4 gas permeation and separation study for the membranes, the highest CO 2 /CH 4 ideal selectivity of 33.1 was obtained by the MMMs with 1 % NH 2 -UZM-5, which was a significant enhancement of 212 % in CO 2 /CH 4 ideal selectivity as compared to the pristine PSF membrane. • Mixed matrix membranes incorporated with zeolite UZM-5 and APTES-modified UZM-5 were successfully formed. • The properties of UZM-5, NH 2 -UZM-5 and MMMs were studied using characterization test. • We report that 1 % NH 2 -UZM-5 MMMs displayed the highest CO 2 /CH 4 ideal selectivity of ∼33.1.