Membrane cuts hydrogen waste
15 Jan 2000
A rugged polymeric gas separation membrane could help expand the use of industrial separation processes, claims developer Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT), US. The material could potentially allow recovery of large volumes of hydrogen now discarded in petrochemical processing, reducing the environmental impact of refining.
The membranes are produced by blending polyimide materials containing crosslinkable diacetylene groups. A solid-state cross-linking reaction initiated after formation of the membranes accounts for the properties without reducing the material's gas transport and separation abilities.
Conventional polymeric gas separation membranes lose mechanical strength at temperatures above 100 degrees C and can be damaged by reactive components in gas streams, says developer Mary Rezac. The new polymers are stable at temperatures of more than 400 degrees C. Further information can be seen at the GIT website: http://www.gtri.gatech.edu/rco.html
