Precursor Selection and Process Conditions in the Preparation of Carbon Membrane for Gas Separation: A Review

Abstract

Carbon membranes prepared by pyrolysis/carbonization of polymeric precursors have been studied in the last few years as a promising candidate for gas separation process. As the aim of this paper, a review on polymer precursor selection and effect of pyrolysis conditions on carbon membrane characteristics and performances were discussed in detail. A number of different polymer precursors have been surveyed for their utility as materials in carbon membrane fabrication. The gas transport properties of various types of carbon membrane that produced by different researchers was summarized. Furthermore, the potential applications and future directions of carbon membrane in gas separation processes were also briefly identified.

Keywords:

• Precursor
• stabilization
• pyrolysis
• carbon membrane
• separation

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support under National Science Fellowship (NSF) from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Malaysia.