The Gas Separation Performance of Polyurethane-Zeolite Mixed Matrix Membranes

The effect of zeolite 3A, 4A, and ZSM-5 on the gas separation performance of polyurethane (PU)-zeolite mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) has been investigated in this study. Permeation of pure CO2, CH4, N-2, and O-2 gases through PU-zeolite MMMs with zeolite content of 6, 12, 18, and 24 wt% was studied. The prepared hybrid membranes were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope. Membrane characterization confirmed the homogeneous distribution of zeolite particles at low zeolite loadings in the prepared membranes. The obtained results confirmed a significant enhancement in the permeability of all gases and the CO2/N-2, CO2/CH4, and O-2/N-2 selectivities by increasing the content of zeolite particles in PU-zeolite MMMs. The PU-zeolite 4A with 12 wt% zeolite loading showed the best performance in terms of gas permeability and selectivity for CO2/N-2, CO2/CH4 and O-2/N-2 gas pairs.