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Title: Polybenzimidazole based random copolymers containing hexafluoroisopropylidene functional groups for gas separations at elevated temperatures

Journal Article · · Polymer
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  2. Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (United States)
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Polybenzimidazoles (PBIs) are attractive membrane materials for H2/CO2 separation at hydrocarbon fuel derived synthesis gas operating conditions due to their exceptional physicochemical stability and promising permselectivity character. PBI molecular structure modification is a viable approach to disrupt chain packing altering the free-volume architecture which results in improved gas transport characteristics. This work is focused on the synthesis and characterization of novel PBI random copolymers for application as elevated temperature H2/CO2 membranes. The co-polymerization route is expected to result in tailorable permeability and selectivity by combining the high H2 permeability aspect of the highly disrupted loosely packed hexafluoroisopropylidene diphenyl group containing PBI segments (6F-PBI) with the highly selective tightly packed phenylene group containing PBI segments (m-PBI). 6F/m-PBI copolymers with varying 6F-PBI and m-PBI ratios having high inherent viscosity were synthesized. The structure and ratio of the 6F- and m-PBI fractions were confirmed using FTIR and NMR spectroscopic techniques. The measured gas transport properties of copolymer thin films cast in controlled environment were measured as a function of the operating conditions. Lastly, the H2 permeability increased while H2/CO2 selectivity decreased as the 6F-PBI copolymer fraction was increased.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396; 18990
OSTI ID:
1467203
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1396514
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-17-23507
Journal Information:
Polymer, Vol. 119, Issue C; ISSN 0032-3861
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 23 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (1)

Synthesis of a metal-coordinated N -substituted polybenzimidazole pyridine sulfone and method for the nondestructive analysis of thermal stability journal February 2018

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Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Energy Sciences
Material Science
Polybenzimidazole
Random copolymer
Pre-combustion
Carbon capture
Synthesis gas
Hydrogen selective membrane