Preparation and Characterization of a Novel Polysulfone (PS) Mixed Matrix Membrane Modified with a SAPO-34 Nanofiller for CO2/CH4 Gaseous Mixture Separation

Blended matrix polymer membranes have attracted attention today due to their high efficiency in gas separation. In this study, PS / SAPO 34 polymer membranes were synthesized and evaluated by the phase separation method. ُynthesized PS/SAPO-34 mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were characterized via FESEM, TGA, and DSC analyses. Various parameters such as air gap distance, dope extrusion rate, and jet stretch were examined. After that, the process of separation of CO2 and CH4 gases was investigated. The results showed that the addition of SAPO nanoparticles improved membrane performance. The highest selectivity was obtained at a temperature 28 and a pressure 0.5 bar. Permeation results manifested that the PS/SAPO-34 fabricated at optimum conditions has incredible worth from the perspective of industrial separations of CO2 from the flue and natural gas.