PFI-AIR: Transitioning Novel Polymeric Membranes for Natural Gas, Air, and Hydrogen Separations: an NSF-PFI Accelerating Innovation Research (AIR) Project

该NSF加速创新研究（AIR）项目将转化并进一步开发新一代交联芳香族聚合物膜，用于从天然气中去除二氧化碳，从空气中分离氧气（O2）和（N2），以及氢气（H2）纯化。 该技术基于以下发现：这些膜的选择实例具有前所未有的渗透性、气体选择性和抗性能下降性的组合，特别是在分离可冷凝气体（如二氧化碳）期间。 现有的膜主要是无定形的玻璃状工程热塑性塑料，其对气流中的有机污染物缺乏耐久性。 AIR创新提供了一种将膜制造成溶液中的中空纤维平台的方法，而且膜可以进行后改性，以开发所需的耐用性以及非常好的运输和机械性能。将空气分离为O2和N2的经济性将使惰性N2气氛能够在全球范围内运输食品，也将应用于飞机油箱，以减少火灾/爆炸。经济地产生纯化的H2将在开发用于运输、固定（家庭）电力和便携式电子设备的燃料电池系统的氢经济性方面发挥关键作用。

This NSF Accelerating Innovation Research (AIR) project will translate and further develop a new generation of crosslinked aromatic polymer membranes for removing carbon dioxide from natural gas, separating oxygen (O2) and (N2) from air, and for hydrogen (H2) purification. The technology is based on the discovery that select examples of these membranes have unprecedented combinations of permeation, gas selectivity and resistance to performance degradation, particularly during separations of condensable gases such as carbon dioxide. Existing membranes are largely amorphous, glassy engineering thermoplastics that lack durability to organic contaminants in the gas streams. The AIR innovation provides a means to fabricate membranes into hollow fiber platforms in solution, but also the membranes can be post-modified to develop both the needed durability as well as very good transport and mechanical properties.The economical separation of air into O2 and N2 will enable inert N2 atmospheres to transport food globally and also will be applied to aircraft fuel tanks to minimize fires/explosions. Economical generation of purified H2 will play a critical role in developing a hydrogen economy for fuel cell systems for transportation, stationary (home) power, and portable electronics.