(414x) Constructing CO2-Transport Passageways in Matrimid Membranes By Incorporating Hydrogel Nanoparticles

Authors: Xueqin Li, Hong Wu*

Reporter: Xueqin Li

Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Technology of Ministry of Education School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, 300072, P. R. China

Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin 300072, China

[*]   Corresponding author: wuhong@tju.edu.cn

Abstract: Composite membranes were fabricated by blending of Matrimid 5218 polymer with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel nanoparticles (PHNs, ~250 nm). The PHNs were prepared by precipitation polymerization of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPAM) as the monomer and N, N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as the crosslinker. Since PHNs can absorb large quantities of water and have high water-retention capability, the incorporation of PHNs into Matrimid matrix increased water uptake, bound water, and water retention capacity in the composite membranes. Matrimid/PHNs composite membranes have both high CO₂ permeability, CO₂/CH₄ and CO₂/N₂ selectivities due to the higher water content in composite membranes and additional CO₂-transport passageways constructed by incorporating PHNs. It was found that the gas permeability increased with increasing PHNs loading, and the CO₂ permeability of the composite membranes doped with 20 wt% PHNs increased by the fourfold compared with pure Matrimid membrane.

Keywords: Matrimid; Hydrogel nanoparticles; Composite membranes; Water content; CO₂ separation