Hybrid Membranes for Light Gas Separation

Membrane separations provide a potentially attractive technology over conventional processes due to their advantages, such as low capital cost and energy consumption. Reverse-selective gas separations have attracted considerable attention in removing the heavier/larger molecules from gas mixtures. This study offers an overview introduction of custom-built separation testing facility and designing hybrid membranes that facilitate specific gas separations, such as olefin/paraffin separations. Dendrimer-functionalized membranes are highly tunable due to their hyperbranched structures and chemical diversities. A variety of diamine linking groups with varying polarities, hydrophobicites and rigidities have been explored for specific applications. Moreover, facilitated transport membranes were investigated by introducing Cu(I) facilitator in order to increase the olefin/paraffin selectivity based on their chemical interaction with olefin molecules.