(573d) Thermally Cross-Linked Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Membranes for Natural Gas Sweetening

Polymers are desirable membrane materials for natural gas processing due to their affordability, ease of processing, and mechanical integrity. Unfortunately, conventional polymeric membranes are vulnerable to plasticization-induced loss in selectivity upon exposure to condensable gases at high pressure. In this presentation, I will demonstrate a technique for thermally cross-linking an organic-inorganic hybrid membrane consisting of a polyimide and a ladder-structured polysilsesquioxane from a combination of amidation and decarboxylation [1]. The thermally cross-linked membrane exhibits excellent plasticization tolerance, enhanced gas permeability, and improved mechanical properties compared to the precursor polymeric membrane. Additionally, the cross-linked organic/inorganic hybrid membrane is utilized as a platform to manufacture defect-free, plasticization-resistive hollow fiber membranes. The robust mechanical properties of the cross-linked polyimide/ladder-structured polysilsesquioxane blend allow a simple approach for the fabrication of thermally cross-linked hollow fibers. Further, this method is adapted to various types of polyimides, indicating its versatility.

[1] H. J. Yu, C-H Chan, S. Y. Nam, S-J Kim, J. S. Yoo, J. S. Lee, Thermally cross-linked ultra-robust membranes for plasticization resistance and permeation enhancement – A combined theoretical and experimental study, J. Membr. Sci. 646 (2022), 120250.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Korea government (MISP) (Project No. 2022R1A2C2006812) and by C1 Gas Refinery Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Project No. 2019M3D3A1A01069101).