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

0755937约翰逊化学和生物分离项目的NSF奖项支持匹兹堡大学和弗吉尼亚理工学院以及州立大学的J. Karl约翰逊教授和伊娃马兰德教授的工作，他们分别研究了以非常高的能量效率分离气体混合物的新方法。目前用于混合气体的工业分离的方法是能量和资本密集型的。我们提出的研究，使新型膜的设计，选择性地传输气体，具有高通量，并具有低资本和能源成本。 我们的工作目标是：（1）构建和测试超薄定向单壁碳纳米管（SWNT）不对称复合膜和（2）开发精确的分子水平模型，可以阐明的现象，在实验生产的膜混合进料气体的传输和选择性。这些目标将通过实验和原子详细建模的独特组合来实现。气体分离膜的广泛研究表明，需要新的膜材料，以显着提高基于膜的气体分离的有效性。碳纳米管的理论和实验研究表明，这些材料可以提供这样的突破;这些材料被预测具有高选择性和非常高的气体传输通量，并代表了一种全新的膜材料，具有低成本、高效率分离气体的潜力。我们计划采用我们开发的专利方法来制造无缺陷的碳纳米管/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多孔载体上制备定向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.