Fundamental Studies of Novel SiC Nanoporous Materials for Separation Applications

用于分离应用的新型碳化硅纳米多孔材料的基础研究

• 批准号: 0854427
• 负责人: Theodore Tsotsis
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: University of Southern California
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-07-01 至 2013-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0854427&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Fundamental; Studies; Novel; SiC; Nanoporous

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).0854427TsotsisThis NSF award by the Chemical and Biological Separations program supports work by Professors Theodore Tsotsis and Muhammad Sahimi at the University of Southern California to systematically investigate and further improve the technique of pre-ceramic polymer pyrolysis to produce nanoporous SiC membranes and films, which are both cost-efficient and industrially viable.In this project we propose the study of SiC membranes which show the potential to overcome some of the difficulties other membranes face, which have proven unstable in the presence of O2 and steam at temperatures higher than 300C; these are the conditions typically encountered in reactive separations for H2 production, and in fuel-cell applications. SiC is a promising material that has high fracture toughness, good thermal shock resistance, and is capable of withstanding high temperatures and corrosive environments. Our current research with these materials focuses on the preparation of appropriate SiC membrane supports, and the deposition on these substrates of thin nanoporous films by the pyrolysis of pre-ceramic polymeric precursors. Our preliminary studies have shown that using new types of PCS materials leads to the preparation of hydrogen-permselective membranes. However, significant progress must still be made before these SiC membranes become appropriate for practical applications. In this project we will, therefore, systematically investigate and further improve the technique of pre-ceramic polymer pyrolysis to produce nanoporous SiC membranes and films, which are both cost-efficient and industrially viable. Our emphasis will be on understanding the factors determining the ability of these SiC materials to separate gas mixtures, based on differences in molecular mobility and molecule-pore surface interactions. We will proceed along two paths: (1) the preparation and characterization of SiC membranes, and the computational modeling of their molecular structure; and (2) the measurement and simultaneous computer simulation of sorption and transport of mixtures through these membranes. Coupling experiments and simulations will facilitate efforts to relate the membrane's molecular structure with its transport properties, and separation efficacy. This, in turn, will enable progress toward the long-term goal of first-principle molecular engineering and design of improved materials for adsorption and separation. This research project will provide a valuable educational experience and training for the graduate and undergraduate students involved, in that it will provide them with the opportunity to prepare and characterize a novel class of new materials, and to learn a host of state-of-the-art computational and experimental techniques. The urban setting of USC affords the opportunity to work with a variety of 2-4 year colleges in the area. Our plan is to recruit qualified undergraduates as summer interns, and potentially as incoming graduate students. We plan to disseminate the results of our work through peer reviewed publications, presentations at technical meetings, and by makings all reports available on the Web. We will also take advantage of the ever evolving undergraduate curriculum program at USC, which emphasizes vertically- and horizontally-integrated degree projects consisting of emphasis-specific experimental/laboratory modules associated with each core Chemical Engineering course. The PI?s envision integrating research findings and aspects of their work as the degree projects in the Reactor Analysis, Transport Phenomena, and Separation courses. The proposed novel SiC membranes show good potential for reactive applications for the production of hydrogen and for fuel-cell applications. In addition to focusing attention on an important class of materials, this project will also generate fundamental insight, which will impact the knowledge-base of the broader field of transport and reaction in nanoporous media, and is likely to catalyze new thinking and rapid new advances in the area.

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案资助的（公法111-5）.0854427 Tsotsis化学和生物分离计划的NSF奖项支持南加州大学的西奥多Tsotsis和Muhammad Sahimi教授的工作，以系统地研究和进一步改进陶瓷前聚合物热解技术，以生产纳米多孔SiC膜和薄膜，在这个项目中，我们提出了SiC膜的研究，它显示出克服其他膜面临的一些困难的潜力，这些困难已经被证明在高于300 ℃的温度下在O2和水蒸汽的存在下不稳定;这些是在H2生产的反应分离和燃料电池应用中通常遇到的条件。SiC是一种有前途的材料，具有高断裂韧性，良好的抗热震性，并能够承受高温和腐蚀性环境。我们目前的研究与这些材料的重点是适当的SiC膜支持的制备，和沉积在这些基板上的薄纳米多孔膜的预陶瓷聚合物前体的热解。我们的初步研究表明，使用新型的PCS材料导致氢选择性渗透膜的制备。然而，在这些SiC膜适合实际应用之前，仍必须取得重大进展。因此，在本项目中，我们将系统地研究并进一步改进预陶瓷聚合物热解技术，以生产纳米多孔SiC膜和薄膜，这既具有成本效益，又具有工业可行性。我们的重点将是了解这些SiC材料分离气体混合物的能力的决定因素，基于分子流动性和分子-孔隙表面相互作用的差异。我们将沿着两条路径进行：（1）SiC膜的制备和表征，以及它们的分子结构的计算建模;和（2）通过这些膜的混合物的吸附和传输的测量和同时的计算机模拟。耦合实验和模拟将有助于努力将膜的分子结构与其传输性能和分离效率联系起来。 反过来，这将使第一原理分子工程和设计用于吸附和分离的改进材料的长期目标取得进展。 该研究项目将为参与的研究生和本科生提供宝贵的教育经验和培训，因为它将为他们提供准备和表征一类新材料的机会，并学习大量最先进的计算和实验技术。南加州大学的城市环境提供了与该地区各种2-4年制学院合作的机会。我们的计划是招募合格的本科生作为暑期实习生，并有可能作为即将到来的研究生。我们计划通过同行评审的出版物、技术会议上的演讲以及在网络上发布所有报告来传播我们的工作成果。我们还将利用南加州大学不断发展的本科课程计划，该计划强调纵向和横向整合的学位项目，包括与每个核心化学工程课程相关的特定实验/实验室模块。私家侦探？我们设想将研究成果和他们工作的各个方面作为反应堆分析、传输现象和分离课程的学位项目。 所提出的新型SiC膜显示出良好的潜力，用于生产氢气和燃料电池应用的反应应用。除了关注一类重要的材料外，该项目还将产生基本的见解，这将影响纳米多孔介质中更广泛的传输和反应领域的知识基础，并可能催化该领域的新思维和快速新进展。