CTS - 9622473 Eva Marand Virginia Poly. Inst & State U. ABSTRACT The project deals with the development and characterization of polymer-ceramic composite membranes. A highly cross-linked titanate network will be incorporated into a polyimide matrix via in-situ polymerization of titanium alkoxide. The formation of hydrogen bonds in the composite enhances thermo-mechanical stability and may improve selectivity at higher temperature. Gas transport properties will be correlated to membrane fabrication properties. Thermal, spectroscopic and microscopic methods will be used to characterize the membranes in terms of stability, microstructure, fractional free volume and specific molecular interactions. Potential applications of the composite membranes include high-temperature gas separations and catalysis for chemical manufacturing.
