The effect of plasticization on the transport of gases in and through glassy polymers

Penetrant-induced plasticization in microporous polymer membranes

Penetrant-induced plasticization has prevented the industrial deployment of many polymers for membrane-based gas separations. With the advent of microporous polymers, new structural design features and unprecedented property sets are now accessible under controlled laboratory conditions, but property sets can often deteriorate due to plasticization. Therefore, a critical understanding of the origins of plasticization in microporous polymers and the development of strategies to mitigate this effect are needed to advance this area of research. Herein, an integrative discussion is provided on seminal plasticization theory and gas transport models, and these theories and models are compared to an exhaustive database of plasticization characteristics of microporous polymers. Correlations between specific polymer properties and plasticization behavior are presented, including analyses of plasticization pressures from pure-gas permeation tests and mixed-gas permeation tests for pure polymers and composite films. Finally, an evaluation of common and current state-of-the-art strategies to mitigate plasticization is provided along with suggestions for future directions of fundamental and applied research on the topic.

Gas Separation Membrane Module Modeling: A Comprehensive Review

Membrane gas separation processes have been developed for diverse gas separation applications that include nitrogen production from air and CO₂ capture from point sources. Membrane process design requires the development of stable and robust mathematical models that can accurately quantify the performance of the membrane modules used in the process. The literature related to modeling membrane gas separation modules and model use in membrane gas separation process simulators is reviewed in this paper. A membrane-module-modeling checklist is proposed to guide modeling efforts for the research and development of new gas separation membranes.

Approaches to Suppress CO2-Induced Plasticization of Polyimide Membranes in Gas Separation Applications

Polyimides with excellent physicochemical properties have aroused a great deal of interest as gas separation membranes; however, the severe performance decay due to CO2-induced plasticization remains a challenge. Fortunately, in recent years, advanced plasticization-resistant membranes of great commercial and environmental relevance have been developed. In this review, we investigate the mechanism of plasticization due to CO2 permeation, introduce effective methods to suppress CO2-induced plasticization, propose evaluation criteria to assess the reduced plasticization performance, and clarify typical methods used for designing anti-plasticization membranes.

Mathematical Modeling and Investigation on the Temperature and Pressure Dependency of Permeation and Membrane Separation Performance for Natural gas Treatment

Due to special features, modules comprising asymmetric hollow fiber membranes are widely used in various industrial gas separation processes. Accordingly, numerous mathematical models have been proposed for predicting and analyzing the performance. However, majority of the proposed models for this purpose assume that membrane permeance remains constant upon changes in temperature and pressure. In this study, a mathematical model is proposed by taking into account non-ideal effects including changes in pressure and temperature in both sides of hollow fibers, concentration polarization and Joule-Thomson effects. Finite element method is employed to solve the governing equations and model is validated using experimental data. The effect of temperature and pressure dependency of permeance and separation performance of hollow fiber membrane modules is investigated in the case of CO2/CH4. The effect of temperature and pressure dependence of membrane permeance is studied by using type Arrhenius type and partial immobilization equations to understand which form of the equations fits experimental data best. Findings reveal that the prediction of membrane performance for CO2/CH4 separation is highly related to pressure and temperature; the models considering temperature and pressure dependence of membrane permeance match experimental data with higher accuracy. Also, results suggest that partial immobilization model represents a better prediction to the experimental data than Arrhenius type equation.

Liquid CO2 processing of solid polylactide foam precursors

Diffusion of CO2 in polylactide was modelled by assuming the diffusion coefficient to depend on CO2 concentration, c, according to D[ c] =  D[0]exp[ Ac], where D[0] and A are empirical constants, with the aim of optimizing impregnation of nominally amorphous and semicrystalline polylactide/CO2-based precursors for physical foaming. Numerical simulations provided a consistent description of desorption at different temperatures, T, from polylactide impregnated with liquid CO2 at 10℃ and 5 MPa, and D[0,  T] could be represented analytically using Arrhenius or Williams–Landel–Ferry-type expressions, allowing interpolation and extrapolation. Sorption was argued on this basis to involve a step-like diffusion front, such that the CO2 content of a plate of thickness l increased as ( D[0] t)1/2 l−1 F[ Aco], where co is the value of c at saturation and F is a function of Aco only. A major practical concern with polylactide/CO2 precursors is that the glass transition temperature, Tg, decreases strongly with c, so that amorphous polylactide saturated with CO2 at 10℃ and 5 MPa degasses spontaneously at room temperature and pressure. However, it was inferred from the models and confirmed experimentally that partial impregnation in liquid CO2 for relatively short times could provide a relatively rapid means of preparing precursors with a roughly uniform CO2 content of around 0.1 g/g that were stable with respect to rapid CO2 loss on heating to room temperature. The resulting precursors gave satisfactory foam morphologies and densities on foaming at 100℃. Moreover, it was also possible to adapt the impregnation conditions so as to obtain partially foamed structures from semicrystalline polylactide under these conditions, in spite of its tendency to undergo cold crystallization during impregnation in liquid CO2, which suppressed expansion of saturated specimens at 100℃.

Migration and sorption phenomena in packaged foods

Rapidly developing analytical capabilities and continuously evolving stringent regulations have made food/package interactions a subject of intense research. This article focuses on: (1) the migration of package components such as oligomers and monomers, processing aids, additives, and residual reactants in to packaged foods, and (2) sorption of food components such as flavors, lipids, and moisture into packages. Principles of diffusion and thermodynamics are utilized to describe the mathematics of migration and sorption. Mathematical models are developed from first principles, and their applicability is illustrated using numerical simulations and published data. Simulations indicate that available models are system (polymer-penetrant) specific. Furthermore, some models best describe the early stages of migration/sorption, whereas others should be used for the late stages of these phenomena. Migration- and/or sorption-related problems with respect to glass, metal, paper-based and polymeric packaging materials are discussed, and their importance is illustrated using published examples. The effects of migrating and absorbed components on food safety, quality, and the environment are presented for various foods and packaging materials. The impact of currently popular packaging techniques such as microwavable, ovenable, and retortable packaging on migration and sorption are discussed with examples. Analytical techniques for investigating migration and sorption phenomena in food packaging are critically reviewed, with special emphasis on the use and characteristics of food-simulating liquids (FSLs). Finally, domestic and international regulations concerning migration in packaged foods, and their impact on food packaging is briefly presented.

Activation barriers for oxygen diffusion in polystyrene and polycarbonate glasses: effects of codissolved argon, helium, and nitrogen

A recently developed spectroscopic technique was used to determine oxygen diffusion coefficients as a function of temperature for polystyrene and polycarbonate films. Data were recorded at total pressures <300 Torr over the temperature range 5–45 °C under conditions in which argon, helium, and nitrogen, respectively, were copenetrants. In all cases, the presence of the additional gas caused an increase in the oxygen diffusion coefficient. Arrhenius plots of the data yield (a) a diffusion activation barrier, Eact, and (b) a diffusion coefficient, D0, that represents the condition of "barrier-free" gas transport for the temperature domain over which the Arrhenius plot is linear. For all cases examined in both polystyrene and polycarbonate, D0 increased with an increase in the partial pressure of added gas. In polystyrene, the presence of an additional gas did not change Eact. In polycarbonate, Eact obtained in the presence of helium and argon likewise did not differ from that obtained in the absence of the copenetrant. When nitrogen was the added gas, however, a larger value of Eact was obtained. This latter observation is interpreted to reflect the plasticization of polycarbonate by nitrogen. Eact and D0 data are discussed within the context of a model that distinguishes between dynamic and static elements of free volume in the polymer matrix. Keywords: oxygen diffusion, polystyrene, polycarbonate, activation barrier.