Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) Composite Membrane with Polyamidoamine Dendrimers for Efficient Separation of CO2/H2 and CO2/N2

Although polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membranes are commonly used for CO2 separation, there is still large development space in mechanical properties and high selectivity of the gas separation process. In this study, the gas separation performance and mechanical properties of the (PVA/Cu2+) substrate membranes were improved by introducing polyamidoamine (PAMAM). PAMAM had an important effect on the gas adsorption and separation performance of the membrane. In addition, the gas adsorption and separation properties of the PVA/Cu2+/PAMAM membrane (PPCm) were analyzed and studied when the inlet gas pressure and the species of mixed gases were variable. The results showed that the crystallinity and mechanical properties of the membrane with the PAMAM had been significantly improved. Young's modulus of PPCm with 30% PAMAM was 132% higher than that of the PVA/Cu2+ composite membrane without PAMAM. In addition, efficient separation efficiency and high selectivity of the gas separation process were observed. The separation factors of the PPCm for CO2/H-2 and CO2/N-2 were about three times higher than that of the PVA/Cu2+ substrate membranes. These results suggested that the introduction of PAMAM was promising for CO2 separation and permeance.

Automated summary

In this study, the gas separation performance and mechanical properties of PVA/Cu2+ membranes were improved by introducing PAMAM. The addition of PAMAM significantly enhanced the crystallinity and mechanical properties of the membranes, and resulted in efficient separation efficiency and high selectivity of the gas separation process.