Polyurethane/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Blend Membranes for Gas Separation

This Study involves preparation and characterization of polyurethane (PU) and polyurethane/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PU/PVA) blend membranes for gas separation. PU was synthesized by two step polymerization based on isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), 1,4-butanediamine (BDA), polytetramethylene glycol (PTMG) in the mole ratio of 3:2:1. The prepared blend membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of molecular weight of PVA, and blend composition on the gas transport properties of N2, O2, CO2 and CH4 were investigated. Obtained results show that the permeability of gases decreased in blend membranes by poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) molecular weights while their gas selectivity enhanced. Comparison of the gas separation performance of the prepared membranes to Robeson upper bound, reveal the enhancement of membrane performance by introducing PVA in PU matrix.