Preparation and characterization of TiO2/PU/PEG nanocomposite membrane for CO2 Separation

Today, the rise in greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide is the main cause of global warming. Various methods have been used to separate greenhouse gases from other industries output gases. Membranes are one of the methods widely used for gas separation because of their flexibility, robustness, and low price. In this study, preparation and characterization of TiO2/PU/PEG nanocomposite membranes is described for CO2 separation. Polyurethane/ Polyethylene glycol (80: 20 wt %) and Polyurethane/ Polyethylene glycol / TiO2 nanocomposite membranes were prepared by solution casting–solvent evaporation technique. The morphology and physical properties of the prepared membranes were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The permeability of pure N2, O2, CH4 and CO2 gases were determined by different TiO2 contents (2, 4, 6 and 8 wt %). Also the effect of pressure (2, 4, 6, and 8 bar) on permeation properties of these membranes was investigated.The results stated that the addition of the TiO2 nanoparticles of different concentrations in the PU/PEG membranes enhances pure gas permeability. It is also observed that gas permeability increases with increasing gas pressure.