Abstract
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In this study zinc oxide filled and unfilled polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) 600 blended membranes with different degrees of cross-linking (mol%) were prepared using formaldehyde as a cross-linking agent and characterized by FTIR, SEM, TGA, mechanical analysis and permeation testing for CO2 and N2 gases. The effects of synthesis parameters like cross-linking ratio, wt.% PEG content and wt.% zinc oxide content on the membrane characteristics were also investigated. It was found that at 60 mol% degree of cross-linking and 60wt.% PEG content, the membranes showed maximum CO2/N2 ideal selectivity of 26 and reasonable CO2 permeability of 52.9 Barrers at 25°C and 1.5bar. It was also found that at 2wt.% zinc oxide content, membranes showed highest CO2/N2 ideal selectivity of 112.8 and maximum CO2 permeability of 423 Barrers at 25°C and 1.5bar.