Polycarbonate/Polypropylene-Graft-Maleic Anhydride and Nano-Zeolite-Based Nanocomposite Membrane: Mechanical and Gas Separation Performance

In this effort, blend membrane of polycarbonate (PC) and polypropylene-graft-maleic anhydride (PPMA) was fabricated via phase inversion technique. The nano-zeolite (NZ) was employed as nanofiller. Morphology of PC/PPMA/NZ membrane revealed unique inter-connected branched microstructure. Tensile strength and Young’s Modulus of PC/PPMA/NZ 0.1-5 were in the range of 59.9-74.5 MPa and 111.4-155.2 MPa respectively. The nano-zeolite filler was also effective in enhancing the permselectivity αCO₂/N₂ (23.5 to 38.5) relative to blend membrane (20.3). The permeability P_CO2 of PC/PPMA/NZ 5 membrane was found as 106.2 Barrer. Filler loading enhanced gas diffusivity, however filler content did not significantly influence CO₂ and N₂ solubility.