CO2 separation performance by chitosan/tetraethylenepentamine/poly(ether sulfone) composite membrane

CO2 separation from CO2/N-2 (20:80) gas mixture has been demonstrated by tetraethylenepentamine blended with chitosan (CS-TEPA) membrane. Optimization of CS and TEPA weight ratio were carried out based on characterization details involving thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscope, and field emission scanning electron microscope. Effects of water flow rate, pressure, and temperature were concurrently studied on CS-TEPA membranes through gas permeation. Almost twofold increase in CO2 permeance (24.7 GPU) was detected in CS blend with 30% (w/w) of TEPA (CS70) as compared to pure CS membrane (12.5 GPU). CS70 yielded CO2/N-2 selectivity of 80 whereas CS demonstrated a maximum of 54 at 90 degrees C. The membrane also exhibited improved stability at temperatures less than 120 degrees C which was evident from TGA isotherm trace. The proposed composite membrane can be a promising candidate for flue gas separation. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45206.