Selective gas transfer through binary polymeric systems based on block-copolymers

Evaluation of several versions of phenomenological theory of gas permeability in selective polymeric membranes is presented, along with the appropriate experimental methods for verification of these versions. The main focus is on a description of stationary mass transfer across membranes (films) containing dispersion inclusions of various shapes of one polymer in a matrix of another. Considering heterogeneous media as a membrane material, it was assumed that diffusion and sorption properties of inclusions are different from those of the dispersing medium. The problem of choosing optimal shape of inclusions is evaluated from the point of view of targeted permeability and selectivity of a membrane with respect to gases. To confirm this theoretical approach, the experimental results of the studies of diffusion (permeability) of permanent gases in polymeric membranes of different structures were used. The target gases included noble gases, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, CO2, and methane. The target polymers included glassy polyvinyltrimethylsilane (PVTMS, T-gl = 155-180 degrees C), rubberlike polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, T-gl = 120 degrees C), and two-phase block-copolymers based on these materials within a wide range of composition, including the region of phase inversion. In addition, available experimental literature data on gas permeation parameters for polyarylat-polysiloxane, polysulfon-polysiloxane, and polycarbonate-polysiloxane block-copolymers are utilized. In order to describe the stationary gas permeability for two-phase systems (from diluted dispersion of one polymer in another to concentrated dispersion and complete phase inversion) the empiric approaches based on modified Maxwell equations are offered. The requirements for two-phase systems with high permeability and selectivity parameters for gas separation are identified. The permeability parameters are predicted for C1-C4 hydrocarbons in block-copolymers based on PDMS dispersion in PVTMS, phase inversion, and PVTMS dispersion in PDMS. Thus, the perspectives of designing heterogeneous membranes based on block-copolymers with predetermined molecular-selective properties are demonstrated. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.