Aging of thin-film composite membranes based on PTMSP loaded with porous aromatic frameworks

Abstract

The prevention of physical aging of thin-film composite membranes based on PTMSP by the introduction of porous aromatic framework particles (PAF-11) was studied. A number of the thin-film composite (TFC) membranes with a varied thickness of the selective layer of 1.7–6.8 µm were fabricated, and its gas transport properties were monitored during up to 650 days at ambient temperature. Among all studied TFC membranes, TFC/6.8/PAF sample provided better stability of gas permeance by retaining of 0.19, 0.24 and 0.30 from its original values for N2, O2, and CO2, respectively. The best gas permeance for the stabilized aged TFC membrane were 300 (N2), 500 (O2) and 1900 GPU (CO2), and the ideal selectivity of 1.8 and 6.9 for the pair of O2/N2 and CO2/N2, respectively. It was shown that the gas selectivity of stabilized TFC membranes could be varied from 6.7 to 17 for (CO2/N2), and from 1.7 to 2.6 for (O2/N2), by adjustment of the selective layer thickness.