Carbon Molecular Sieve Membrane Produced From A Carbon Forming Polymer-Polyvinylidene Chloride Copolymer Blend

摘要

A carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membrane may advantageously be made by pyrolyzing a membrane precursor composition comprised of a carbon forming polymer (e.g., polyimide) blended with a polyvinylidene chloride copolymer (PVDC), the polyvinylidene chloride copolymer being the reaction product of at least 60% to 97% by weight of vinylidene chloride and at least one other comonomer and the carbon forming polymer to polyvinylidene chloride copolymer has a weight ratio of greater than 1 to 99. The membrane precursor composition may be formed by dissolving the carbon forming polymer and PVDC in a solvent to form a dope solution. The dope solution may be shaped, for example, into an asymmetric hollow fiber. The asymmetric hollow fiber may be heated to a temperature to dehydrochorinate the PVDC and then subsequently heated in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to carbonize the polymers of the shaped membrane to form the CMS membrane.