Abstract
Fluorinated polymers play a significant role in the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) value chain, which is considered as the most viable solution to limit the CO2 emission in the atmosphere, with the potential to be applied at short-medium times. Indeed, among the various classes of polymers, fluorinated materials look promising for their potential application for CO2 capture as membrane materials and in CO2 transport as liner materials of pipelines, vessels etc., due to their excellent thermal and chemical resistance combined with a pronounced favourable interaction with CO2.
In the current work, various reference fluorinated polymers (PVDF, PTFE, PVF, ETFE, PFA and FEP) have been characterized by carbon dioxide sorption and transport in a wide temperature and pressure range, aiming to investigate the gas solubility, permeability and diffusivity under various conditions. The main aim is to assess the effect of the fluorine content on the CO2 solubility and diffusivity and to investigate how the resulting membrane morphology alters gas transport properties. This may eventually allow to predict how the gas affects the performance and the stability of the materials even in supercritical or liquid/dense state, due to a physical change in their structure.
Furthermore, the results obtained are analysed by a thermodynamic equation of state (EoS) to describe the solubility behaviour, while the standard transport model (STM) provides a reliable representation of gas transport. The comparison of sorption and transport data by means of the dedicated model allows the reliable prediction of the effects of CO2 on such fluorinated polymers at all desired temperature and pressure ranges, relevant for CO2 transport (e.g. dense phases, up to supercritical conditions) or capture applications by membranes.
This work is thus a step forward in understanding and modelling of the complex interaction between supercritical CO2 and polymers in view of their future use in industrial applications.
In the current work, various reference fluorinated polymers (PVDF, PTFE, PVF, ETFE, PFA and FEP) have been characterized by carbon dioxide sorption and transport in a wide temperature and pressure range, aiming to investigate the gas solubility, permeability and diffusivity under various conditions. The main aim is to assess the effect of the fluorine content on the CO2 solubility and diffusivity and to investigate how the resulting membrane morphology alters gas transport properties. This may eventually allow to predict how the gas affects the performance and the stability of the materials even in supercritical or liquid/dense state, due to a physical change in their structure.
Furthermore, the results obtained are analysed by a thermodynamic equation of state (EoS) to describe the solubility behaviour, while the standard transport model (STM) provides a reliable representation of gas transport. The comparison of sorption and transport data by means of the dedicated model allows the reliable prediction of the effects of CO2 on such fluorinated polymers at all desired temperature and pressure ranges, relevant for CO2 transport (e.g. dense phases, up to supercritical conditions) or capture applications by membranes.
This work is thus a step forward in understanding and modelling of the complex interaction between supercritical CO2 and polymers in view of their future use in industrial applications.