Proposal Number: CTS-0403619 Principal Investigator: Peter Pintauro Institution: Case Western Reserve University
This proposal was received in response to Nanoscale Science and Engineering initiative, NSF 03-043, category NER. The objective of this exploratory research project is to fabricate, characterize and test a new class of polymer-based membranes for permanent gas separations. The membranes will be composed of between 30 and 2000 nm-thick continuous polymeric sublayers with a repeating polymer layer sequence (e.g., A-B-A-B and A-B-C-B-A). The multilayer films will be coextruded using a unique apparatus. Such new nanolayer membranes may overcome the undesirable gas flux/selectivity limitation common to typical polymeric membranes. The membrane fabrication work will proceed in two high-risk/high-reward directions: (i) multilayer polymeric membranes with repeating two or three polymer layer sequences and (ii) multilayer mixed-matrix membranes, where a molecular sieve material is imbedded in multiple layers of a rubber polymer, with numerous glassy polymer interlayers. The membranes will be tested for the selective extraction of oxygen from air and the separation of hydrogen from carbon dioxide. It is the nano-layering effect, from a fabrication, application, and performance viewpoint. The experimental plan is to: (i) select polymer and polymer composite materials for the individual membrane nanolayers, (ii) design optimal repeating nanolayer sequences of these polymers, (iii) fabricate membranes with a different number (30-2000) and thickness (10-100 nm) of polymer layers, and (iv) test the membranes for O2/N2 and H2/CO2 separations. In terms of the broader impacts, highly efficient membranes for oxygen removal from air could be used in medical applications, fuel combustion, and in hydrogen/air fuel cells. Successful outcomes will result in the creation of an entirely new class of membranes, with a nano-layered morphology, that outperform present-day membranes, in terms of permeability and selectivity.
