Carbon Membranes via Unsaturated Polyester Pyrolysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing carbon membranes for gas separation face challenges such as limited resistance to oxidizing media and water vapor, brittleness, and variability in reproducibility and separation properties, which hinder their effectiveness and reliability for various gas separation tasks.
Innovation Solution
The use of ethylenically unsaturated polyester solutions, comprising repeating units of aliphatic diols, aromatic dicarboxylic acids, and ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids, which are coated on porous substrates, pyrolyzed to form carbon membranes with optimized pore sizes and structures for enhanced gas separation performance and reproducibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If carbon membranes are used for gas separation, then high permeance and selectivity can be achieved, but limited resistance to oxidizing media and water vapor occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite membrane structures combining carbon layers with other materials that provide resistance to oxidizing media and water vapor while maintaining the gas separation capabilities of carbon. This composite approach allows the membrane to benefit from the high permeance and selectivity of carbon membranes while being protected from their chemical limitations.
2Reliability
If carbon membranes are used for gas separation, then high permeance can be achieved, but brittleness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite structures where carbon layers are combined with more ductile support materials or interlayers. This composite design maintains the high permeance of the carbon layer while the supporting structure provides mechanical flexibility and reduces brittleness, enabling the membrane to withstand handling and operational stresses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs thin film composite membrane designs where the carbon layer is deposited as a thin film on a porous support. This thin film structure maintains high permeance while the porous support provides mechanical strength and flexibility, reducing the overall brittleness of the membrane system.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different polymer solutions are used for producing carbon membranes, then various pore sizes can be achieved, but variability in reproducibility and separation properties occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent systematically investigates and optimizes specific parameters of polymer solutions (composition, concentration, molecular weight, solvent type) to achieve consistent pore size control. By establishing optimized parameter ranges and standardized preparation procedures, the patent reduces variability and improves reproducibility while maintaining the ability to adjust pore sizes for different separation applications.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The resulting carbon membranes exhibit excellent separation properties, including high hydrogen permeance and permselectivity, and improved reproducibility, making them suitable for gas separation across a range of temperatures and conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The carbon synthesized by the pyrolysis of organic materials is called paracrystalline carbon
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to the use of solutions of ethylenically unsaturated polyesters to produce carbon membranes that are suitable for gas separation and to a method for producing carbon membranes that are suitable for gas separation, comprising the steps: a) coating a porous substrate with a solution of ethylenically unsaturated polyesters, b) drying the polyester coating on the porous substrate by removing the solvent, c) pyrolyzing the polyester coating on the porous substrate in order to form the carbon membrane that is suitable for gas separation, wherein each of the steps a) to c) or the sequence of steps a) to c) can be performed several times.