PFI-TT: Development of Polymeric Organosilica Membranes for Hydrogen Purification at 100 – 300 oC

该创新-技术转化合作伙伴关系（PFI-TT）项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力在于，二氧化硅膜产品将实现氢气（H2，一种清洁能源载体）的低成本生产和二氧化碳（CO2，一种温室气体）的大规模利用或储存-经济地减少CO2向环境的排放。具体而言，该计划将通过展示使用传统工艺的膜生产的可扩展性，并利用膜在与实际气流一起使用时的长期稳定性，将该技术带到实验室之外。该团队寻求将该技术授权给膜制造商和开发商，然后可以对膜系统进行中试规模的现场测试，并提供小型商业系统，用于从各种工业流中分离和纯化H2。参加该计划的学生将受益于膜和分离，H2纯化和碳捕获，材料科学与工程以及先进制造的跨学科培训。该研究将成为一个有价值的工具，吸引来自不同层次（研究生、本科生和高中）代表性不足的群体的学生体验创业型多学科研究，并激励他们追求STEM职业和创业精神。该项目旨在通过满足三个里程碑来展示聚合有机硅（POSi）膜的潜力。(1)通过优化聚合物前体和制造条件，制备比当前商业膜高50%的H2渗透性和高三倍的H2/CO2选择性的膜;（2）使用工业卷对卷设施放大膜生产（10 - 100 m2膜面积）;和（3）用模拟气体混合物证明连续长期（2-4周）性能和稳定性。该技术的关键创新是在聚合物膜顶部制备无机材料的可渗透层（10 nm或更小）的简便方法，提供上级H2渗透性和H2/CO2选择性。这种聚合物膜在工业中常规生产，并且它们在加工和使用期间为无机选择性层提供优异的机械支撑。该团队的方法代表了一种制备用于气体分离的无机膜的新的、可扩展的、可再现的和低成本的方法，与现有生产路线的高成本和差的可扩展性形成对比，这是因为，他们拒绝接受高...该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is that the silica membrane products will enable low-cost production of hydrogen gas, (H2, a clean energy carrier), and carbon dioxide (CO2, a greenhouse gas) capture for utilization or storage on a large scale - economically mitigating CO2 emissions to the environment. Specifically, the program will bring the technology beyond the laboratory by demonstrating scalability of membrane production using conventional processes and capitalizing on the long-term stability of the membranes when used with realistic gas streams. The team seeks to license the technology to a membrane manufacturer and developer, which can then conduct pilot-scale field tests of the membrane systems and offer small commercial systems for separation and purification of H2 from various industrial streams. The students participating in this program will benefit from interdisciplinary training on membranes and separation, H2 purification and carbon capture, materials science and engineering, and advanced manufacturing. The research will become a valuable vehicle to attract students from underrepresented groups at various levels (graduate, undergraduate, and high school) to experience entrepreneurial multi-disciplinary research and inspire them to pursue STEM careers and entrepreneurship.The project aims to demonstrate the potential of polymeric organosilica (POSi) membranes by meeting three milestones. (1) Prepare membranes with 50% higher H2 permeance and three times higher H2/CO2 selectivity than current commercial membranes by optimizing polymer precursors and fabrication conditions; (2) Scale-up membrane production (10 – 100 m2 membrane area) using industrial roll-to-roll facilities; and (3) Demonstrate continuous long-term (2-4 weeks) performance and stability with simulated gas mixtures. The key innovation of the technology is a facile means of preparing an ultrathin layer (10 nm or less) of inorganic material on top of polymeric membranes, providing superior H2 permeance and H2/CO2 selectivity. Such polymeric membranes are routinely produced in industry, and they provide excellent mechanical support for the ultrathin inorganic selective layer during processing and use. the team's approach represents a new, scalable, reproducible, and low-cost means of preparing inorganic membranes for gas separation, in contrast to the high cost and poor scalability of existing production routes, which have prevented the adoption of high-performance inorganic membranes for gas separation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.