Filler-polymer combination: a route to modify gas transport properties of a polymeric membrane

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has been used as host matrix to prepare hybrid membranes, by a dry phase inversion process, where fillers with different surface and molecular sieving properties have been dispersed. The hybrid membranes have been characterised morphologically by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and their gas transport properties have been measured at different temperatures. The influence of the temperature and different fillers on the gas separation performance of hybrid membranes has been analysed. These membranes showed higher selectivity values for some gas pairs combined to lower permeabilities with respect to pure PDMS films, as consequence of the contribution of the filler to the transport. A proper filler choice could be used to meet some specific requirements in industrial gas separations. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.