TY - JOUR
T1 - A greener route to prepare PEBAX®1074 membranes for gas separation processes
AU - Ortiz-Albo, Paloma
AU - Alves, Vítor D.
AU - Kumakiri, Izumi
AU - Crespo, João
AU - Neves, Luísa A.
N1 - Funding Information:
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT//SFRH%2FBD%2F139389%2F2018/PT#
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB%2F50006%2F2020/PT#
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDP%2F50006%2F2020/PT#
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB%2F04129%2F2020/PT#
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/3599-PPCDT/PTDC%2FCTM-CTM%2F29869%2F2017/PT#
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/CEEC IND5ed/2022.00689.CEECIND%2FCP1725%2FCT0017/PT#
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors
PY - 2024/2
Y1 - 2024/2
N2 - The solvent used in membrane fabrication is crucial for a potential industrial application, with a direct effect on its safety, environmental and economic impact. Thus, in the last years, the search for greener and safer solvents became of utmost importance aiming for a sustainable fabrication of highly performing membranes, since that also affects the final membrane morphology. Typically, solvent evaporation-based methods are used for the preparation of membranes for gas separation processes, such as dip-coating and spray coating methods. The advantage of this approach relies on the possibility of using greener non-toxic solvents, such as water and ethanol. However, an alternative route might involve the use of phase inversion methods. In this procedure, the selection of the solvent will play an even more important role, with an impact on the gas separation membrane properties. Small defects or structural changes will decisively alter the final membrane performance. In this work, it is presented for the first time the alternative use of a non-toxic and eco-friendly solvent, Rhodiasolv®Polarclean, for the preparation of CO2-selective PEBAX®-based membranes using a hybrid phase inversion method. This preliminary study evaluates the relationship between the fabrication protocol, with the resulting structural, thermal, and mechanical membrane properties for self-standing membranes. The gas separation performance was tested for different gases: H2, N2, O2, CO2 and CH4. This analysis also includes a comparison with the commonly used, although strongly restricted and hazardous, solvent N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP).
AB - The solvent used in membrane fabrication is crucial for a potential industrial application, with a direct effect on its safety, environmental and economic impact. Thus, in the last years, the search for greener and safer solvents became of utmost importance aiming for a sustainable fabrication of highly performing membranes, since that also affects the final membrane morphology. Typically, solvent evaporation-based methods are used for the preparation of membranes for gas separation processes, such as dip-coating and spray coating methods. The advantage of this approach relies on the possibility of using greener non-toxic solvents, such as water and ethanol. However, an alternative route might involve the use of phase inversion methods. In this procedure, the selection of the solvent will play an even more important role, with an impact on the gas separation membrane properties. Small defects or structural changes will decisively alter the final membrane performance. In this work, it is presented for the first time the alternative use of a non-toxic and eco-friendly solvent, Rhodiasolv®Polarclean, for the preparation of CO2-selective PEBAX®-based membranes using a hybrid phase inversion method. This preliminary study evaluates the relationship between the fabrication protocol, with the resulting structural, thermal, and mechanical membrane properties for self-standing membranes. The gas separation performance was tested for different gases: H2, N2, O2, CO2 and CH4. This analysis also includes a comparison with the commonly used, although strongly restricted and hazardous, solvent N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP).
KW - Gas separation
KW - Green solvent
KW - Phase inversion
KW - Polymeric membranes
KW - Rhodiasolv®Polarclean
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85180409752&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.memsci.2023.122346
DO - 10.1016/j.memsci.2023.122346
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85180409752
SN - 0376-7388
VL - 693
JO - Journal of Membrane Science
JF - Journal of Membrane Science
M1 - 122346
ER -