Structure-Property Relationships of Inorganically Surface-Modified Zeolite Molecular Sieves for Nanocomposite Membrane Fabrication

A multiscale experimental study of the structural, compositional, and morphological characteristics of aluminosilicate (LTA) and pure-silica (MFI) zeolite materials surface-modified with MgOxHy nanostructures is presented. These characteristics are correlated with the suitability of such materials in the fabrication of LTA/Matrimid mixed-matrix membranes; (MMMs) for CO2/CH4 separations. The four functionalization methods studied in this work produce surface nanostructures that may appear superficially similar under SEM observation but in fact differ considerably in shape, size, surface coverage, surface area/roughness, degree of attachment to the zeolite surface, and degree of zeolite pore blocking. The evaluation of these characteristics by a combination of TEM, HRTEM, N-2 physisorption, multiscale compositional analysis (XPS, EDX, and ICP-AES elemental analysis), and diffraction (ED and XRD) allows improved understanding of the origin of disparate gas permeation properties observed in MMMs made with four types of surface-modified zeolite LTA materials, as well as a rational selection of the method expected to result in the best enhancement of the desired properties (in the present case, CO2/CH4 selectivity increase without sacrificing permeability). A method based on ion exchange of the LTA with Mg2+, followed by base-induced precipitation and growth of MgOxHy nanostructures, deemed ion exchange functionalization here, offers modified particles with the best overall characteristics resulting in the most effective MMMs. LTA/Matrimid MMMs containing ion exchange functionalized particles had a considerably higher CO2/CH4 selectivity (similar to 40) than could be obtained with the other functionalization techniques (similar to 30), while maintaining a CO2 permeability of similar to 10 barrers. A parallel study on pure silica MFI surface nanostructures is also presented to compare and contrast with the zeolite LTA case.