The Influences of Dope Composition on Gas Permeance of Hollow Fiber Carbon Membrane

Abstract

In this work, a carbon membrane was produced from a polymer blend of polyetherimide (PEI)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Four samples of the PEI-based carbon membrane were prepared at various concentrations of its blending counterpart, which were 0, 5, 9, and 13 wt.% of PVP. All samples were subjected under similar conditions where the stabilization of their polymeric precursors was performed at 300 °C for 1 h under a continuous flow of purified air. The stabilization was followed by pyrolysis at 400 °C for 1 min under purified nitrogen flow. Sample S3, which was prepared at initial dope solution of 9 wt.% PVP, demonstrated that the decomposition temperature has increased at highest degree compared with the others, and this has brought advantages to its morphology. Single gas permeability tests using CO₂ and CH₄ gases showed that the polymer-blend-precursor-based carbon membranes possessed molecular sieving properties. Sample with 9 wt.% PVP (S3) was found highest in the delivery of CO₂ permeance and CO₂/CH₄ permselectivity, which were 14.61 and 1.95 GPU, respectively.