Super-surface selective nanomembranes providing simultaneous high permeation flux and high selectivity

#1. Field of the Invention

#The invention relates generally to membranes, and more specifically to membranes having beneficial combinations of permeation flux and selectivity.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a synthesis methodology of phase separated nanomembranes according to various embodiments;

#FIG. 2A shows a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of alumina substrate before glass deposition;

#It should be understood that the various embodiments are not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in the drawings.

#The present invention may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention as well as to the examples included therein. All numeric values are herein assumed to be modified by the term “about,” whether or not explicitly indicated. The term “about” generally refers to a range of numbers that one of skill in the art would consider equivalent to the recited value (i.e., having the same function or result). In many instances, the term “about” may include numbers that are rounded to the nearest significant figure.

#Various embodiments provide beneficial combinations of permeability and selectivity. The permeability unit used is the gas permeation unit (GPU). For purposes of this disclosure, 1 GPU=1×10−6 cm3(STP)/cm2·s·cmHg). The membrane selectivity is used to compare the separating capacity of a membrane for two (or more) species. The separation factor is the parameter traditionally used to describe the quality of separation performed by a pervaporation membration. The separation factor of species 1 relative to species 2 (β12) is defined as the ratio of the ratio of permeate compositions (CV) to the ratio of the feed compositions (CL) as shown in Equation 1.