Mixed matrix membranes incorporated with small pore zeolite UZM-5 for enhanced CO2/CH4 separation

Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs), which is polymeric matrix incorporated with inorganic filler materials, appear to be potential candidate for CO 2 separation. Current work focuses on fabrication of MMMs incorporated with varying loading of small pore zeolite UZM-5 and modified UZM-5 for CO 2 /CH 4 separation. Zeolite UZM-5 was firstly synthesized and then modified by using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). MMMs was fabricated by incorporating zeolite UZM-5 and modified UZM-5 (NH 2 -UZM-5) into polysulfone (PSF) matrix. Both modified and unmodified zeolite UZM-5 were characterized via Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. The fabricated membranes were characterized using FTIR, XRD, TGA and FESEM analysis. The successful synthesis of zeolite UZM-5 was proven by XRD analysis. FESEM analysis of the membranes revealed that the successful the MMMs were successfully fabricated with even distribution of zeolites in the polymer matrix. In CO 2 and CH 4 gas permeation and separation study for the membranes, the highest CO 2 /CH 4 ideal selectivity of 33.1 was obtained by the MMMs with 1 % NH 2 -UZM-5, which was a significant enhancement of 212 % in CO 2 /CH 4 ideal selectivity as compared to the pristine PSF membrane. • Mixed matrix membranes incorporated with zeolite UZM-5 and APTES-modified UZM-5 were successfully formed. • The properties of UZM-5, NH 2 -UZM-5 and MMMs were studied using characterization test. • We report that 1 % NH 2 -UZM-5 MMMs displayed the highest CO 2 /CH 4 ideal selectivity of ∼33.1.