Transport and separation characterization of supported PEI-based carbon molecular sieve membranes

Supported carbon molecular sieve membranes (CMSMs) have been prepared by the pyrolysis of a polyetherimide precursor. The single gas transport properties of four different batches of USFILTER membranes were measured. For a few cases transport measurement with binary gas mixtures as well as stability tests were also conducted. This study indicated that the initial substrates and the sealing technique have very important effects on the performance of CMSMs.;The transport properties of different batches of two types of M&PT hollowfibers were measured. The hollowfibers were characterized by SEM and micropore analysis to relate their structures to their transport characteristics. The 4-mm hollowfibers exhibited a somewhat better performance than the 1-mm. Micropore analysis of pyrolyzed PEI powders was conducted to relate the transport properties of CMSMs to their structures and to find the optimal conditions for the carbonization step.