Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.34, No.9, 3170-3172, 1995
Update on the Aging of a Thin Polycarbonate-Ceramic Composite Membrane
The gas transport properties of a thin polycarbonate-ceramic composite membrane over a nearly 4 year period are reported. This Research Note provides an update on the activities first reported 2 years ago. In the interim, transport rates through the film have continued to decrease and helium/nitrogen and helium/oxygen selectivities continue to increase. The rate of flux decay was quite rapid during the first month following manufacture. During this time, the helium flux decreased nearly 30%. Yet, the flux decay rate decreased considerably following that period with only an additional 12% drop on the helium flux in the following 45 months. This behavior is consistent with a loss in free volume of the sample.