Journal of Inorganic Materials

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Preparation, Characterization, and Gas Separation Properties of Polyimide/TiO2 Composite Membranes

WANG Mao-Gong, ZHONG Shun-He   

  1. College of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
  • Received:2006-01-04 Revised:2006-04-24 Published:2007-01-20 Online:2007-01-20

Abstract: A series of polyimide/TiO2 composite membranes supported on TiO2 /kieselguhr-mullite (K-M) were prepared via a sol-gel process. Their morphologies, chemical structures, thermal performances, pore distribution and gas permeability were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), solid-state 13C CP/MAS NMR, thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTA), N2 adsorption and gas permeability measurement. The results show the TiO2 phase is well dispersed in the polyimide matrix. The TiO2 phase is connected with the polyimide through the pendant carboxyl along the polyimide chain. The polyimide/TiO2 composite membrane possesses finely thermal stability. The composite membranes show higher separation properties for H2, CO2, N2 and H2O when compared to pure polyimide. The separation factors of the polyimide/TiO2 composite membranes with 5wt% TiO2 contents for H2/N2, CO2/N2 and H2O/N2 are
64.2, 42.5 and 80.8, respectively.

Key words: polyimide/TiO2, composite materials, sol-gel, gas separation

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