Separation performance of CO₂ by hybrid membrane comprising nanoporous carbide derived carbon

In this study, Mixed Matrix Membranes (MMM) containing carbide derived carbon (CDC) in polysulfone matrix (PSF) were investigated for the separation of CO₂. MMM with four different loadings (0.1–2 wt%) were prepared by the dry/wet phase inversion technique. Prepared samples were characterized and tested for CO₂ and CH₄ gas permeation. The optimization of the control PSF membrane revealed that 30 wt% PSF corresponds to a critical polymer-polymer interaction that suits the volatile solvent loss period to produce an auspicious morphology of an asymmetric membrane. Characterization results of the synthesized CDC revealed its nanoporous character and its high thermal stability in addition to the presence of some surface oxygen moieties such as the carbonyl group. Separation performance of the MMM showed that the both of the CO₂ permeance and CO₂/CH₄ selectivity were independently doubled with the incorporation of CDC in the composite membrane due to the favorable surface chemistry of the CDC and the manipulation of its nanoporosity to enhance solubility and diffusivity. In this study, 1 wt% loading is considered as the optimal CDC loading at which it plays a favorable role in achieving the obtained excellent improvement in membrane performance.