Objetivo
MOLSEL project involves a progressive research proposal based on the accumulated advanced scientific experience in the field synthesis and physical chemistry of polymers, physical chemistry of membrane and chemical engineering. Six academic EU and NIS partners are involved in this thirty month project (EU: France #1, UK #6; NIS: Russia #2, #3, #4, Belorussia #5) together with one industrial partner (Russia #7) that has been considered to harness the required expertise in the following areas:
(a) the synthesis of monomers and of new stereoregular glass-like siliconhydrocarbon polymers of acetylenic type and rubber-like crosslinkable polysiliconolefins and the development of thin selective polymeric films;
(b) the study of the molecular mechanisms associated with the formation of thin polymeric surface layers, study of the sub-molecular structure of the films;
(c) the experimental and theoretical study of selective transport phenomena in the novel polymers for different VOCs/gases, VOCs/lower hydrocarbons, C1/C4 or C1-C4/inorganic separation in a wide range of composition and temperature relating to the different applications;
(d) the study of the thin polymeric films resistance to organic attack; and
(e) the development of high permeability membrane prototypes (film and hollow fibre) based on selected and most promising polymers with the optimal sub-molecular structure for particular separation processes.
This project is directed towards the development of new approaches to structure/permeability relationships with consideration to polymer morphology and the sub-molecular organisation of macrochains in polymeric surface layers, which are responsible for the selective transfer of low molecular mass species (gases, vapours) through high permeability glass- and rubber-like polymers, based on unsaturated silyl hydrocarbons all of which possessing predominant permeability for heavy molecules (e.g. C2-C4 hydrocarbons). In view of the practical usage the research is directed in order to gather and develop the fundamental knowledge required for the emergence of clean technologies with straightforward applications towards environmental concerns, and in particular, the membrane processing of VOC recovery from air, valuable organics components from natural gas. The three primary objectives of MOLSEL research are:
(1) to synthesise novel glass- and rubber-like polymers with high permeability, based on unsaturated silyl hydrocarbons, including the glass-like polytrimethyl silylpropyne with differing cis/trans geometries, and cross linkable elastomeric polysiliconolefins, and their copolymers. Much study will be given to the effects of the changes of morphology of these materials in the surface layer on the separation properties of the resultant membranes;
(2) to study the molecular mechanism for the creation of thin polymeric surface layers and of the influence of the configuration of repeating units in the polymer, the conformation of the macromolecules in solution, the thermodynamic hardness of the macrochains as well as the conditions for formation of thin layers on the sub-molecular structure organisation (extent of orientation) which in turn is very sensitive to membrane gas transfer;
(3) to study experimentally and theoretically express the selective mass-transfer phenomena through the new synthesised polymers in relation to the molecular properties of the polymers and the sub-molecular organisation of the thin surface layers by use of organic vapours and permanent gases as diffusion probes.
The molecular characteristics of the synthesised polymers and some of their associated copolymers will be studied by the determination of their translational diffusion, velocity sedimentation and viscometric properties; diffusion and sedimentation coefficients will be obtained as well as the values of intrinsic viscosity. The molecular mass values and the thermodynamic rigidity of the polymers will be obtained as well as their scaling relationships. The optical characteristics of the macromolecules will be studied by their flow birefringence in solution and by their photoelasticity in films. These results will then be compared with the results obtained for the permeability of the same samples as a route to the development of modelling techniques.
The glass and rubber-like polymers to be developed are presented with different physical properties so that they provide differing selective mass transfer mechanisms. All of these polymers will possess a dominant selective permeability for the heavy C2-C4 hydrocarbons and heavy rare gases over smaller molecules. The study of the permeability of a set of diffusion probes with differing molecular sizes; shape and mass (permanent gases, C1-C4 linear hydrocarbons and their isomers) will be done with respect to the differing chemical structures and morphology of the polymeric films and membranes. The study will include the measurement of the permeability parameters (coefficients of permeability, diffusivity and solubility) of permanent and noble gases (H2, N2, O2, CO2, He, Ar, Kr, Xe), of the C1-C4 hydrocarbons and of VOCs with representatives of aromatic, ketone and halohydrocarbon compounds under a wide variety of conditions of temperature and feed composition. New theoretical approaches will be developed for the explanation of selective permeability transport taking into account the surface layer morphology of the novel films and composite membranes.
As a consequence this project is aimed at the development of new principals and conceptions concerning structure/properties relations and to the more rationalised synthesis of highly selective membrane materials providing the optimal structures for the thin polymeric layers responsible for selective mass transfer. Through this collaborative research the development of new stereoregular glassy silicon hydrocarbons of acetylenic types and of rubber-like cross-linkable polysiliconolefins will be carried out. Enhanced with favourable sub-molecular structures in their top layers, these novel membranes should promote the emergence of innovative and low-energy consuming processes associated with gas phase separation technology.
Tema(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
Data not availableRégimen de financiación
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54001 Nancy
Francia