Recent progress of fillers in mixed matrix membranes for CO2 separation: A review

Among various CO2-mitigation technologies, membrane-based technology has offered a more energy efficient and eco-friendly process for CO2 separation from large emission sources, in order to reduce CO2 emission level into atmosphere. In general, polymeric and inorganic membranes have been used in gas separation processes, but each has its own pros and cons. Currently, membrane research has addressed the trade-off limitations of membranes in different ways through fabrication of new type of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) by incorporation of inorganic particles as fillers into polymer matrices. The performance of MMMs depends on textural properties of fillers, molecular sieving effect and membrane-penetrant interactions. The main challenges in the fabrication of MMMs is selection of fillers, which controls the gas separation characteristics of membranes. In this review, the influences of fillers like zeolite, carbon, and metal organic framework in MMMs fabrication and their CO2 permeability and CO2/CH4 and CO2/N-2 selectivity were compiled from recent reports. Further, a new protocol is introduced for screening of fillers, which will helps to development of new fillers as well as for fabrication of new MMMs with high CO2 separation capacity. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.