Boosting CO 2 /N 2 separation via incorporating ZSM-5 as a filler in the PAN matrix membrane

Abstract

Mixed matrix membrane (MMM) for gas separation offers a low-cost, energy-efficient alternative to conventional CO2 capture technologies for treating flue gas. However, issues of MMM such as trade-off between permeability and selectivity and poor interface compatibility limit further improvement of membrane performance. This study focuses on boosting the CO2/N2 separation performance of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membranes by incorporating ZSM-5 as a filler. The filler and membranes were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD analysis confirmed that ZSM-5 was well dispersed within the PAN matrix, and that the interchain spacing increased upon filler incorporation, indicating an enhanced fractional free volume that promoted higher gas diffusion. Single-gas permeation tests showed that the PAN/ZSM-5 membrane exhibited higher CO2 permeability and CO2/N2 selectivity than the pristine membrane. These results establish PAN/ZSM-5 MMM as promising candidates for improving the performance and long-term stability of flue gas under single and mixed gas conditions.