Gas sorption, permeation and separation of ABS copolymer membrane

This work examines the gas transport and sorption properties of a commercial acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) copolymer (Lustran®246), containing 60% styrene, 27% acrylonitrile and 13% butadiene. Permeability, diffusion and sorption coefficients of CO2, CH4, N2 and O2 in ABS membrane were determined at temperatures from 20 to 50 °C and pressures in the 2–10 × 105 Pa range. The coefficients correspond to the van’t Hoff and Arrhenius relationships. In order to analyze the effect of plasticization, permeation properties were also determined at a feed pressure of 2 × 106 Pa with a 50% CO2/CH4 mixture. Interesting O2 permeability values and O2/N2 separation factors in the whole range of temperature studied were obtained. The results presented and discussed in this paper suggest that the ABS copolymer can be used as membrane material for the separation of O2/N2 at moderate temperature (20–50 °C), as far as it exhibits a balance of adequate thermal, mechanical and gas separation properties.