Current Development and Challenges of Mixed Matrix Membranes for CO₂/CH₄ Separation

Abstract

In the early stage of membrane technology development in gas separation, utilization of polymeric membranes has gained attention due to their robustness and ease of fabrication. However, the performance of polymeric membranes is limited by the trade-off between permeability and selectivity. Meanwhile, inorganic membrane is capable to exhibit great enhancement in separation performance but unfortunately its fabrication process is hard and costly. Thus, development of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) by incorporating inorganic fillers into the polymer matrix has become a potential alternative to overcome the limitations of polymeric and inorganic membranes in gas separation. Nevertheless, fabrication of defect-free MMMs with improved separation performance and without compromising the mechanical and thermal stability is extremely difficult and challenging. In the current review paper, various types of inorganic fillers for MMMs fabrication and recent reported efforts to tailor the underlying problems on MMMs fabrication were discussed. The future outlook to advance the performance of MMMs in gas separation especially for CO₂/CH₄ separation was highlighted.

Keywords:

• Challenges CO₂/CH₄ separation
• inorganic fillers
• mixed matrix membranes

FUNDING

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial and technical supports provided by CO₂ Management (MOR) research group, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS and Ministry of Education (Higher Education Department) under MyRA Incentive Grant for CO₂ Rich Natural Gas Value Chain Program.

Additional information

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial and technical supports provided by CO₂ Management (MOR) research group, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS and Ministry of Education (Higher Education Department) under MyRA Incentive Grant for CO₂ Rich Natural Gas Value Chain Program.