SGER: Nanoporous Membranes Produces via the Partial Pyrolysis of Silicone Rubbers

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Abstract Proposal No: 9815483 Proposal Type: SGER Principal Investigator: Mary Rezac Affiliation: Georgia Institute of Technology This grant is awarded through the Separations and Purification Program sub-element of the Interfacial, Transport and Separations Program of the Chemical and Transport Systems Division. The principal investigator is Dr. Mary Rezac at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The research is directed towards the development of nanoporous membranes via the partial pyrolysis of silicone rubbers. These membranes operate through a concept known as "selective surface flow" (SSF) where transport of heavy hydrocarbons is facilitated over that of hydrogen, by the selective adsorption of hydrogen on the pore surface followed by condensation in the capillary pores. The advantage of these SSF membranes is the fact that the hydrogen recovery is achieved at feed pressure. The innovative aspect of the research is the concept that the pore structure of the membrane can be controlled by chemical modifications of the siloxane side chains, using a series of substituents with varying electron withdrawing properties. This research represents highly exploratory work. If successful, the work will lead to the development of nanoporous membranes that have the ability to withstand high pressure drops and can be processed into high surface area modules such as hollow fiber modules. Such membranes may be able to withstand the high pressure, continuous operation required for efficient hydrogen-hydrocarbon separations.