On the mechanism of gas transport in rigid polymer membranes

Conventional polymers are compared as gas separation membrane materials with tailormade polymers. The increased permeability of the latter are due to their higher free volume available for gas transport. The increased free volume is associated with the rigidity polymer backbone. Free volume is obtained by subtracting the occupied volume, calculated using group contributions from the polymer specific volume. Wide Angle X-ray techniques are used to obtain average d-spacings that are interpreted in terms of average intermolecular space, and that are related to permeability data. These highly permeable rigid polymer membranes have high glass transition temperatures. The physical parameters, that is, Tg and the jump in heat capacity (ΔCp), are obtained with Differential Scanning Calorimetry, and are used to obtain an estimation of free volume. A good correlation for a series of random copoly[p, m-phenylene(4-phenyl)-1,2,4-triazoles] is obtained. A relationship between permeability and a free volume term, which can be estimated from thermodynamic properties, is equally valid for a wide variety of conventional polymers.