Hyperbranched And Polydimethylsiloxane Based Membranes For CO2 Capture

As we continue to come to terms with a warming planet created, in part, by our dependence on fossil fueled power plants, there is a great and urgent need for cost effective methods of isolating and capturing greenhouse gasses. Among the many methods currently being explored for CO2 separation, membranes have proven to be a promising solution. This thesis examines three types of possible membranes: composite layer membranes, hyperbranched membranes and dense film membranes. In addition to examining the permeance of each type, the study explored various membrane formation techniques and how that affects the permeability of specific membrane types. The results showed that solvent selection and polymer/solvent contact angle has the greatest effect of creating thin film layers in composite layer membranes. Also hyperbranched polymers included in a membrane matrix increased permeability. Lastly sol-gel coating of polymers has led to increased permeability in membranes