CROSS-LINKED POLYIMIDE MEMBRANES AND CARBON MOLECULAR SIEVE HOLLOW FIBER MEMBRANES MADE THEREFROM

摘要

A cross-linked polyimide of the reaction product of a crosslinking agent and a polyimide. The cross-linking agent having at least two cross-linking moieties and the polyimide has a plurality of polyimide chains having an aryl constituent with a moiety comprised of a reactive substituent. The polyimide has crosslinks from the reaction of the reactive substituent of the aryl constituents of the polyimide chains and the cross-linking moieties of the cross-linking agent. The cross-linking may be induced by thermally treating a mixture of the polyimide and crosslinking agent above about 150 °C to a temperature where the polyimide begins to decompose under an inert atmosphere. The membrane can be used for separations involving gases such as hydrogen and light hydrocarbons.