Polymer membrane preparation

Figure 6.36 Piezodialysis of a potassium chloride solution using a mosaic ion exchange membrane (membrane thickness about 200 A, ion exchange capacity of cation and anion exchange parts are almost the same). Salt enrichment Es = [(CujCi) — 1] X 100 (C, concentration of feed solution Cu concentration of permeate). ( ) Membrane prepared by casting dioxane solution of the polymer. ( ) Membrane prepared by casting benzene solution of the polymer. (A) Membrane prepared by casting cyclohexane solution of the polymer.

In the early fifties a number of workers demonstrated the synthesis of homogeneous , high capacity, high conductivity synthetic polymer membranes prepared both by condensation and addition polymerization. Both cation and anion exchange membranes based upon cross-linked polystyrene, reinforced by a fabric mesh became commercially available. 

Different methods of polymer membrane preparation have been covered in several reviews [5-9]. Membranes can be classified, according to their morphology as shown in Fig. 3.1. 

The influence ofTiOj morphology on permeate flux through a photocatalytic polymer membrane prepared by the dip coating technique. (Adapted from Bai eta ., 2010.)... 

Permeation control through stimuli-responsive polymer membrane prepared by plasma and radiation grafting techniques... 

Several recent studies report gas permeation, sorption, and free volume characteristics of these two amorphous fluoropolymers. Nemser and Roman (1991 Nemser, 1993) reported permeability properties of Teflon AF polymer membranes prepared by a melt-press method. Similar to PTMSP, these polymers are permeable to permanent gases. For example, oxygen... 

DSC Analysis of SPEEK 1.6 PS Blends and Pure Polymer Membranes Prepared in DMAc... 

Phase Inversion (Solution Precipitation). Phase inversion, also known as solution precipitation or polymer precipitation, is the most important asymmetric membrane preparation method. In this process, a clear polymer solution is precipitated into two phases a soHd polymer-rich phase that forms the matrix of the membrane, and a Hquid polymer-poor phase that forms the membrane pores. If precipitation is rapid, the pore-forming Hquid droplets tend to be small and the membranes formed are markedly asymmetric. If precipitation is slow, the pore-forming Hquid droplets tend to agglomerate while the casting solution is stiU fluid, so that the final pores are relatively large and the membrane stmcture is more symmetrical. Polymer precipitation from a solution can be achieved in several ways, such as cooling, solvent evaporation, precipitation by immersion in water, or imbibition of... 

The preparation and properties of a novel, commercially viable Li-ion battery based on a gel electrolyte has recently been disclosed by Bellcore (USA) [124]. The technology has, to date, been licensed to six companies and full commercial production is imminent. The polymer membrane is a copolymer based on PVdF copolymerized with hexafluoropropylene (HFP). HFP helps to decrease the crystallinity of the PVdF component, enhancing its ability to absorb liquid. Optimizing the liquid absorption ability, mechanical strength, and processability requires optimized amorphous/crystalline-phase distribution. The PVdF-HFP membrane can absorb plasticizer up to 200 percent of its original volume, especially when a pore former (fumed silica) is added. The liquid electrolyte is typically a solution of LiPF6 in 2 1 ethylene carbonate dimethyl car-... 

Within the scope of thermoelectric nanostructures, Sima et al. [161] prepared nanorod (fibril) and microtube (tubule) arrays of PbSei. , Tej by potentiostatic electrodeposition from nitric acid solutions of Pb(N03)2, H2Se03, and Te02, using a 30 fim thick polycarbonate track-etch membrane, with pores 100-2,000 nm in diameter, as template (Cu supported). After electrodeposition the polymer membrane was dissolved in CH2CI2. Solid rods were obtained in membranes with small pores, and hollow tubes in those with large pores. The formation of microtubes rather than nanorods in the larger pores was attributed to the higher deposition current. 

Chemical modifications of PPO by electrophilic substitution of the aromatic backbone provided a variety of new structures with improved gas permeation characteristics. It was found that the substitution degree, main chain rigidity, the bulkiness and flexibility of the side chains and the polarity of the side chains are major parameters controlling the gas permeation properties of the polymer membrane. The broad range of solvents available for the modified structures enhances the possibility of facile preparation of PPO based membrane systems for use in gas separations. 

Enzymes can be immobilized by enclosing them within semi-permeable polymer membranes. The preparation of the microcapsules requires extremely well controlled conditions and it is possible to use different procedures for their preparation ... 

Among all the polymers used in preparing ion-selective membranes, poly(vinylchloride) (PVC) is the most widely used matrix due to its simplicity of membrane preparation [32, 70], In order to ensure the mobility of the trapped ionophore, a large amount of plasticizer (approximately 66%) is used to modify the PVC membrane matrix (approximately 33%). Such a membrane is quite similar to the liquid phase, because diffusion coefficients for dissolved low molecular weight ionophores are high, on the order of 10 7-10 8cm2/s [59],... 

Immobilization of the bilayer membranes as thin solid films is required when the bilayer membranes are used as novel functional materials. Casting method is a simple way to immobilize the bilayer membrane on a solid support from an aqueous solution by drying. Polymer film is easily prepared when the cast film of polymerizable bilayer membrane is polymerized. A free standing polymer film prepared by photo polymerization of the cast film of diacetylene amphiphiles was reported by O Brien and co-workers [34]. Composition with macromolecular materials is another way of polymer film preparation. Bilayer membranes are immobilized as polymer composites by the following physical methods ... 

AGC has modified the carboxylic polymer and prepared one experimental membrane. This membrane is similar to F-8934 in the arrangement of the sub-structure, and it is almost the same as the F-8934 in both mechanical strength and ohmic resistance. Figure 19.13 illustrates the current efficiency trend of this experimental membrane in a laboratory test run at 8 kA irf2, compared with the F-8934 tested under the same conditions. The absolute value of the membrane s current efficiency is approximately 97.5%. No decline in current efficiency has been observed. AGC is now evaluating the stability and is optimising the carboxylic polymer feature and fabrication process for commercial production of this type of membrane. 

Y. Yamaguchi, T. Usami, H. Natsume, T. Aoyagi, Y. Nagase, K. Sugibayashi, and Y. Morimoto. Evaluation of skin permeability of drugs by newly prepared polymer membranes. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 45 537-541 (1997). 

Kosmala, B. and Schauer, J. 2002. Ion-exchange membranes prepared by blending sulfonated poly(2,6-dimethyl-l,4-phenylene oxide) with polybenzimidazole. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 85 1118-1127. 

TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED SOLUTE PERMEATION Preparation of Polymer Membrane... 

A series of crosslinked copolymer gels composed of DMAEMA and AAm were prepared using methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinker for the preparation of polymer membrane. The feed compositions for the polymer membranes are listed in Tables 1 and 2. The polymerization was carried out between two Mylar sheets separated by a rubber gasket (1-mm diameter) and backed by glass plates. After polymerization, the gel was immersed in distilled water for 3 days to remove unreacted compound. The thickness of gel membrane was 1 mm in swollen state (20°C). 

Some small-pore zeolite and molecular sieve membranes, such as zeolite T (0.41 nm pore diameter), DDR (0.36 x 0.44nm) and SAPO-34 (0.38nm), have been prepared recenhy [15-21]. These membranes possess pores that are similar in size to CH4 but larger than CO2 and have high CO2/CH4 selechvihes due to a molecular sieving mechanism. For example, a DDR-type zeolite membrane shows much higher CO2 permeability and CO2/CH4 selechvity compared to polymer membranes [15-17]. SAPO-34 molecular sieve membranes show improved selechvity for separation of certain gas mixtures, including mixtures of CO2 and CH4 [18-21]. 

The chemical composihons of the zeolites such as Si/Al ratio and the type of cation can significantly affect the performance of the zeolite/polymer mixed-matrix membranes. MiUer and coworkers discovered that low silica-to-alumina molar ratio non-zeolitic smaU-pore molecular sieves could be properly dispersed within a continuous polymer phase to form a mixed-matrix membrane without defects. The resulting mixed-matrix membranes exhibited more than 10% increase in selectivity relative to the corresponding pure polymer membranes for CO2/CH4, O2/N2 and CO2/N2 separations [48]. Recently, Li and coworkers proposed a new ion exchange treatment approach to change the physical and chemical adsorption properties of the penetrants in the zeolites that are used as the dispersed phase in the mixed-matrix membranes [56]. It was demonstrated that mixed-matrix membranes prepared from the AgA or CuA zeolite and polyethersulfone showed increased CO2/CH4 selectivity compared to the neat polyethersulfone membrane. They proposed that the selectivity enhancement is due to the reversible reaction between CO2 and the noble metal ions in zeolite A and the formation of a 7i-bonded complex. 

---