(3dp) Engineering Polymeric Materials for Barriers, Hollow Fiber Membranes, and Hybrid Sorbents: A Path to a More Sustainable Future

The understanding of gas/vapor transport in polymeric materials can guide advances for many applications: barrier material development, membrane based gas separation, and hybrid sorbent development. In fact, all of these applications are related to the same fundamental principle, the sorption-diffusion mechanism. The benefits to our society of doing research in these areas are enormous in terms of the environment as well as energy. As for barrier material development, the transport properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), the current state of the art, can be significantly advanced by the combination of antiplasticization and crystallization to create the next generation of packaging. Furthermore, the effect of flavor molecules on the barrier properties of PET can be evaluated by using a new vapor/gas permeation system relying upon a highly accurate syringe pump. Membranes have also been utilized for separations involving gaseous feed streams and their industrial growth will be driven by their application to increasingly aggressive feed streams. The performance of defect-free Matrimid®asymmetric hollow fiber membranes for aggressive natural gas feed containing high pressure of CO2 and trace levels of toluene and n-heptane was studied. Lastly, a novel class of carbon capture system is being developed via hollow fiber-supported ionic liquid sorbents. Our emergent catch-and-release system has the potential to considerably cut the cost and energy associated with gas uptake and release. Also, it will provide a platform to utilize ionic liquid sorbents on an industry scale by integrating ionic liquid into hollow fibers. The scientific advances mentioned above will enable our society to be a leader in developing and deploying advanced technologies for more sustainable future.