Sorption of CO2, CH4 and Their Mixtures in Amorphous Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene)oxide (PPO)

Sorption of pure CO2 and CH4 and CO2/CH4 binary gas mixtures in amorphous glassy Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene) oxide (PPO) at 35 degrees C up to 1000 Torr was investigated. Sorption experiments were carried out using an approach that combines barometry with FTIR spectroscopy in the transmission mode to quantify the sorption of pure and mixed gases in polymers. The pressure range was chosen to prevent any variation of the glassy polymer density. The solubility within the polymer of the CO2 present in the gaseous binary mixtures was practically coincident with the solubility of pure gaseous CO2, up to a total pressure of the gaseous mixtures equal to 1000 Torr and for CO2 mole fractions of similar to 0.5 mol mol(-1) and similar to 0.3 mol mol(-1). The Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics for Glassy Polymers (NET-GP) modelling approach has been applied to the Non-Random Hydrogen Bonding (NRHB) lattice fluid model to fit the solubility data of pure gases. We have assumed here that no specific interactions were occurring between the matrix and the absorbed gas. The same thermodynamic approach has been then used to predict the solubility of CO2/CH4 mixed gases in PPO, resulting in a deviation lower than 9.5% from the experimental results for CO2 solubility.

Automated summary

The sorption of pure CO2, CH4, and CO2/CH4 binary gas mixtures in amorphous glassy PPO was studied at 35 degrees C up to 1000 Torr. A combination of barometry and FTIR spectroscopy in the transmission mode was used to measure the sorption of gases in polymers. The solubility of CO2 in the binary mixtures was found to be similar to that of pure CO2 up to a total pressure of 1000 Torr and for CO2 mole fractions of about 0.5 and 0.3. The NET-GP modeling approach was employed to fit the solubility data of pure gases and to predict the solubility of CO2/CH4 mixed gases in PPO, with a deviation of less than 9.5% from experimental results for CO2 solubility.