Water sorption and diffusion behaviours in thin films of photosensitive polyimides

CO2-selective poly (ether-block-amide)/polyethylene glycol composite blend membrane for CO2 separation from gas mixtures

This work focuses on the preparation of composite blend membranes based on poly (ether-block-amide) (Pebax-1657) by incorporating polyethylene glycol (PEG) for gas separation applications. The influence of PEG with different molecular weights (PEG600, PEG1500, and PEG4000) at loading content in the range of 10%wt. to 40%wt. was investigated on the microstructure and gas separation performance of the prepared blend membranes. The fabricated membranes were characterized using SEM, XRD, and water contact angle analyses. Based on the experimental results, the blending of low molecular weight PEG (PEG600) into the Pebax-1657 matrix increased the chain mobility of the membrane, led to a smooth microstructure, and improved the hydrophilicity of the blend membranes, as well as enhanced the gas permeability of N₂, O₂, CH₄, and CO₂, but only slightly affected the ideal selectivity of O₂/N₂, CH₄/N₂, CO₂/N₂, and CO₂/CH₄. In contrast, the incorporation of PEG1500 and PEG4000 meaningfully increased the membrane crystallinity, decreased chain mobility, resulted in a rough microstructure, and reduced the blend membranes' hydrophilicity. For CO₂/N₂ mixture, the Pebax/40%PEG600 membrane had CO₂ permeability of 62.9 Barrer and selectivity of 83.8, while the Pebax/20%PEG600 showed the CO₂ permeability of 63.12 Barrer and selectivity of 23.6 for CO₂/CH₄ separation.

Preparation and Characterization of Poly(ether-block-amide)/Polyethylene Glycol Composite Films with Temperature-Dependent Permeation

A series of poly(ether-block-amide) (PEBAX)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) composite films (PBXPG) were prepared by solution casting technique. This study demonstrates how the incorporation of different molecular weight PEG into PEBAX can improve the as-prepared composite film performance in gas permeability as a function of temperature. Additionally, we investigated the effect of PEG with different molecular weights on gas transport properties, morphologies, thermal properties, and water sorption. The thermal stability of the composite films increased with increasing molecular weight of PEG, whereas the water sorption and total surface energy decreased. As the temperature increased from 10 to 80 °C, the low (L)-PBXPG and medium (M)-PBXPG films showed a trend similar to the pure PEBAX film. However, the high (H)-PBXPG film with relatively high molecular weight exhibited a distinct permeation jump in the phase change region of H-PEG, which is related to the temperature dependent changes in the morphology structure such as crystallinity and the chemical affinity between the polymer film and gas molecule. Based on these results, it can be expected that H-PBXPG composite films can be used as self-ventilating materials in microwave cooking.

Diffusion of water into SU-8 microcantilevers

We present a method to monitor the diffusion of liquid molecules in polymers. A microdrop of water is deposited by a piezoelectric drop generator onto the upper surface of a cantilever made of SU-8 based photoresist. In response, the cantilever bends in the opposite direction. We find that this bending is mainly caused by the diffusion of water into the cantilever and the consequent swelling of SU-8. Using a one-dimensional diffusion model and assuming a simple swelling law, we qualitatively model the bending of the cantilever during in and out diffusion of water in SU-8. With a more sophisticated finite element model the diffusion coefficient of water in the SU-8 polymer can be determined quantitatively from the dynamics of cantilever bending.