초록 ▼

Glassy-type gas separating membranes are conditioned to a state of enhanced permeability through controlled sorption of a selected conditioning gas such as CO2. Membranes are swelled to a state of plasticity without being rubberized and maintained in this state to allow their permeabilities to settl

Glassy-type gas separating membranes are conditioned to a state of enhanced permeability through controlled sorption of a selected conditioning gas such as CO2. Membranes are swelled to a state of plasticity without being rubberized and maintained in this state to allow their permeabilities to settle to a new, higher steady-state value. Upon depressurization, conditioned membranes exhibit enhanced permeability over untreated membranes, without serious loss of permselectivity. Membranes so conditioned must be maintained with a minimum sorption level of a conditioning or maintaining gas pending use to retain their improved characteristics.

대표청구항 ▼

A process for conditioning a glassy-type polymeric gas permeable membrane to improve the flux of a gas penetrant therethrough, the process comprising the steps of: (a) swelling the membrane by dissolving therein a gaseous conditioning agent to a level that will plasticize the membrane without plasti

A process for conditioning a glassy-type polymeric gas permeable membrane to improve the flux of a gas penetrant therethrough, the process comprising the steps of: (a) swelling the membrane by dissolving therein a gaseous conditioning agent to a level that will plasticize the membrane without plasticizing the polymer to a rubbery state; (b) maintaining the membrane in a plasticized state for a period of time sufficient to stabilize the gas flux characteristics of the membrane; and (c) reducing the amount of dissolved conditioning agent in the stabilized membrane to a level that will maintain the membrane in the conditioned state pending use. In a process for enriching for a gas permeate from a mixture of gases, which process includes subjecting a glassy-type polymeric gas separating membrane to a mixture of gases under sufficient pressure to achieve a flux of gas across the membrane and collecting the gas permeate, wherein the improvment comprises treating the membrane by a process according to claim 1 or 24.