Polymeric Gas Separation Membranes

TLDR

The relations between polymer structure and transport properties of rubbery and glassy membrane materials are considered, and the past decade has introduced many novel membrane materials. This Perspective conveys basic materials‑science approaches to polymeric membranes for gas and vapor separation and discusses novel strategies for highly permeable, permselective materials such as mixed‑matrix membranes and outstanding challenges. Several quantitative permeability‑prediction methods were developed and comparatively analyzed.

Abstract

This short Perspective conveys to the general reader of Macromolecules basic approaches of materials science of polymeric membranes for gas and vapor separation. The relations between the polymer structure and transport properties of rubbery and glassy membrane materials are considered. On the basis of acquired information, several methods for quantitative prediction of permeability were developed, and their comparative analysis is given in the Perspective. The past decade was marked by the appearance of a number of novel interesting membrane materials, which will be briefly described in the text. In conclusion, novel approaches for achieving highly permeable and permselective materials (e.g., mixed matrix membranes) will be considered as well as several relevant but not solved so far problems of membrane gas separation.