Separation membranes formed from perforated graphene and methods for use thereof
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsSteven W. Sinton, Peter V. Bedworth, Padraig Moloney
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Abstract
Perforated graphene sheets can be used in forming separation membranes. Separation membranes of the present disclosure, which can be used in gas separation processes in some embodiments, can include one or more polymer layers and one or more layers of perforated graphene. Methods for separating a gas mixture can include contacting a gas mixture with the separation membranes, and transiting one or more of the gases through the perforated graphene so as to affect separation.
Claims18
A composite membrane for separation of a first gas from a second gas;
- said separation membrane comprising:
- at least one dense polymeric membrane characterized by a permeability for said first gas greater than or equal to 7.5×10−11 cm3 cm−2 s−1 kPa−1;
- at least one layer of a perforated two-dimensional material;
- and
- a plurality of dielectric layers electrically connected to a voltage source,
- wherein the plurality of dielectric layers are arranged to charge the at least one layer of the perforated two-dimensional material to control the movement of particles contained within the first gas and particles contained within the second gas through the at least one layer of the perforated two-dimensional material,
- wherein said composite membrane is arranged to provide preferential transport of said first gas relative to said second gas through said at least one dense polymer membrane and said at least one layer of said perforated two-dimensional material,
- wherein the at least one dense polymeric membrane is configured to provide preferential transport of the first gas relative to the second gas by solution-diffusion, and
- wherein the at least one layer of the perforated two-dimensional material is configured to provide preferential transport of the first gas relative to the second gas by molecular separation.
A method for separating a first gas from a second gas;
- said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a composite membrane comprising:
- at least one dense polymeric membrane characterized by a permeability for said first gas greater than or equal to 7.5×10−11 cm3 cm−2 s−1 kPa−1;
- at least one layer of a perforated two-dimensional material;
- and
- a plurality of dielectric layers electrically connected to a voltage source;
- and
- contacting an external surface of said composite membrane with said first gas and said second gas;
- wherein the plurality of dielectric layers are arranged to charge the at least one layer of the perforated two-dimensional material to control the movement of particles contained within the first gas and particles contained within the second gas through the at least one layer of the perforated two-dimensional material,
- wherein said composite membrane provides preferential transport of said first gas relative to said second gas through said at least one dense polymer membrane and said at least one layer of perforated two-dimensional material, thereby separating said first gas from said second gas,
- wherein the at least one dense polymeric membrane is configured to provide preferential transport of the first gas relative to the second gas by solution-diffusion, and
- wherein the at least one layer of the perforated two-dimensional material is configured to provide preferential transport of the first gas relative to the second gas by molecular separation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.