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Title: Mechanism of gas permeation through polymer membranes. Progress report, June 1, 1979-March 31, 1980

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5214230· OSTI ID:5214230

The objective is to assess the validity of a free-volume model of gas permeation through nonporous polymeric membranes (5-7). During the past report period, diffusion and solubility coefficients for CO/sub 2/, C/sub 2/H/sub 4/, and C/sub 3/H/sub 8/ in polyethylene rods have been measured at temperatures from 5/sup 0/ to 35/sup 0/C and at pressures of up to 30 atm. Characteristic free-volume parameters were determined from these data by means of an improved computational technique. The parameters were used to predict permeability coefficients for the transport of the above gases through polyethylene membranes. The theoretical permeability coefficients were found to be in very satisfactory agreement with experimental values obtained from independent permeability measurements. Rates of permeation have also been measured for 50% CO/sub 2/-50% C/sub 2/H/sub 4/, 74.9% CO/sub 2/-25.1% C/sub 2/H/sub 4/, and 50% CO/sub 2/-50% C/sub 3/H/sub 8/ mixtures between 20 and 50/sup 0/C and at pressures of up to 28 atm. The permeability coefficients for the components of the mixtures were found to be higher than those of the pure gases, as predicted by the free-volume model.

Research Organization:
Syracuse Univ., NY (USA). Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
DOE Contract Number:
AS02-78ER05015
OSTI ID:
5214230
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/05015-2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English