Mixed matrix membrane materials with glassy polymers. Part 1

Mixed matrix materials comprising molecular sieve entities embedded in a polymer matrix can economically increase membrane permselectivity, thereby addressing a key challenge hindering the widespread use of membrane-based gas separations. Prior work has clarified the importance of proper selection of the dispersed sieve phase and the continuous matrix phase based on their intrinsic transport properties. Proper material selection for the two components, while necessary, is not sufficient since the interfacial contact zone appears to be equally important to achieve optimum transport properties. Specifically, it was found that chemical coupling of the sieve to the polymer can lead to better macroscopic adhesion but to even poorer transport properties than in the absence of the adhesion promoter. This counterintuitive behavior may be attributed to a nanometric region of disturbed packing at the polymer sieve interphase. The poor properties are believed to result from leakage of gas molecules along this nanometric interface. The Maxwell model was modified to take into account these complexities and to provide a first order quantification of the nanometric interphase. The analysis indicates that optimization of the transport properties of the interfacial region is key to the formation of ideal mixed matrix materials. This approach is used in the second part of this paper to form successful mixed matrix membrane materials.