Collaborative Research: Ultra-thin Oriented Carbon Nanotube Asymmetric Composite Membranes: Theory and Experiment

这个由化学和生物分离计划授予的NSF奖项支持匹兹堡大学的J.Karl Johnson教授和弗吉尼亚理工学院和州立大学的Eva Marand教授分别研究以非常高的能源效率分离气体混合物的新方法。目前工业分离混合气体的方法既是能源密集型的，也是资本密集型的。我们建议进行研究，使新型膜的设计能够选择性地输送气体，具有高通量，并具有较低的资本和能源成本。我们的工作目标是：(1)构建和测试超薄取向的单壁碳纳米管(SWNT)不对称复合膜；(2)发展精确的分子水平模型，能够解释实验制备的膜中混合进料气体的传输和选择性现象。这些目标将通过独特的实验和原子细节建模相结合来实现。对气体分离膜的广泛研究表明，需要新的膜材料来显著提高膜基气体分离的效果。碳纳米管的理论和实验研究表明，这些材料可能会提供这样的突破；这些材料预计将具有高选择性和极高的气体传输通量，并代表着一种全新的膜材料，具有实现低成本、高效率气体分离的潜力。我们计划使用我们开发的一种专利方法来制备无缺陷的碳纳米管/聚合物复合膜，用于实验传输研究。这种方法使我们能够在大面积的多孔载体上制备定向的单壁碳纳米管和多壁碳纳米管。

0755937JohnsonThis NSF award by the Chemical and Biological Separations program supports work by Professors J. Karl Johnson and Eva Marand at University of Pittsburgh and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, respectively, to study novel methods for separating gaseous mixtures with very high energy efficiency. Current methods for industrial separation of mixed gases is both energy and capital intensive. We propose research to enable the design of novel membranes that selectively transport gases, have high flux, and have low capital and energy costs. The objectives of our proposed work are: (1) construct and test ultra-thin oriented single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) asymmetric composite membranes and (2) develop accurate molecular-level models that can elucidate the phenomena governing transport and selectivity of mixed-feed gases in the experimentally produced membranes. These objectives will be accomplished through a unique blend of experiments and atomically detailed modeling. Extensive studies of gas separation membranes indicate that new membrane materials are needed in order to dramatically improve the effectiveness of membrane-based gas separations. Theoretical and experimental studies of carbon nanotubes have indicated that these materials may provide such a breakthrough; these materials are predicted to have both high selectivities and extraordinarily high fluxes for gas transport and represent a fundamentally new class of membrane materials with the potential to allow low-cost, high efficiency separation of gases. We plan to employ a patented method, developed by us, to fabricate defect-free carbon nanotube/polymer composite membranes for experimental transport studies. This method allows us to prepare oriented SWNTs and multi-walled carbon nanotubes on large-area porous supports.