Polymeric Membranes for the Production of Oxygen-Enriched Air

摘要

A new concept for producing a composite gas separation membrane of improved permeability and selectivity was investigated. In this approach, an ultrathin selective barrier is deposited via glow discharge onto a thin elastomeric film which coats a porous substrate. The elastomeric undercoat provides both a continuous surface on which to deposit the barrier skin and a region of high permeability between the selective barrier and the membrane pores which interposes minimal flow resistance to the permeating gases. The effort has confirmed: (1) the feasibility of depositing thin, pinhole-free elastomeric layers on a porous polysulfone substrate; (2) the feasibility of depositing thin pinhole-free coatings via glow discharge onto the elastomer/porous substrate described above; (3) the feasibility of depositing a highly selective (02/N2 selectivity of 6.9) coating via glow discharge onto a preformed elastomeric sheet.