(SGER) Small Grant for Exploratory Research on Mixed Matrix Reactively Intercalated Composite Membranes

提案编号：9706621提案类型：SGER首席研究员：William J. Koros所属机构：德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校该基金通过化学和运输系统部界面、传输和分离项目的分离和净化项目子项目授予。首席研究员是德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校的威廉·科罗斯博士。该提案的目标是开发包含分子筛选材料（沸石）嵌入聚合物介质的复合膜。虽然沸石具有分离气体的形状和尺寸选择性潜力，但它们是无机材料，很难制造成柔性膜。将它们结合到聚合物材料中可以制造各种膜结构，包括PI建议使用的中空纤维结构。然而，一个新的问题出现了，沸石晶体和聚合物基体之间的缺陷和空隙导致了选择性介质的物种绕过。PI建议通过进行后膜制造处理，通过填塞这些空隙来修复这些膜，其中允许单体扩散到空隙中，然后生成聚合物来密封空隙。据推测，一旦这些空隙被填塞，气体运输的唯一途径就是通过沸石通道，从而施加所需的选择性。这个项目风险很大，但潜在的利益是巨大的。沸石复合膜在气体分离中具有巨大的应用潜力。需要柔性的沸石基膜。从科学和工业的角度来看，PI的工作是将沸石掺入聚合物基质中，并对膜进行改造，使运输只发生在沸石微孔中。通过后处理优化膜是一个重要的问题。

Abstract Proposal No: 9706621 Proposal Type: SGER Principal Investigator: William J. Koros Affiliation: University of Texas at Austin 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. William Koros of the University of Texas at Austin. The objective of the proposal is to develop composite membranes containing a molecular sieving material ( zeolites) embedded in polymeric media. While zeolites have the shape and size selectivity potential to separate gases, they are inorganic materials and hard to fabricate into flexible membranes. Incorporating them into polymeric materials allows fabrication of various membrane configurations including the hollow-fiber configuration the PI proposes to use. However, a new problem comes in, as defects and voids between the zeolite crystallites and the polymer matrix lead to species bypass of the selective medium. The PI proposes to repair these membranes by caulking these voids by carrying out a post membrane fabrication treatment, where a monomer is allowed to diffuse into the voids and then a polymer is generated to seal the voids. It is hypothesized that once these voids are caulked, the only route for gas transport is through the zeolite channels, thereby imposing the required selectivity. The project entails high risk, but the potential benefits are tremendous. Composite membranes containing zeolites have tremendous potential in gas separations. There is a need for flexible zeolite based membranes. The PI's work on incorporating zeolites in polymer matrices and modifying the membrane so that transport occurs only in the zeolite micropores is interesting both from a scientific and an industrial perspective. The question of membrane optimization through post-treatment is an important one.