z Aghayi - Department of Chemistry, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran
l naji - Department of Chemistry, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran
v haddadi asl - Department of Chemistry, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran
g khanbabaei - Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), Tehran, 14857-33111

Polymer-based membrane separation processes have been intensively studied and optimized for laboratory and even large scale industrial applications. The use of membranes in gas separations has grown at a very rapid pace in recent times. In the present work, the effect of silica nanoparticles on the permeability of CO2 and CH4 gases in poly (amide-6-b-ethylene oxide) (PEBAX 1657) membranes has been studied. Silica nanoparticles prepared by hydrolysis of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), through the sol–gel mechanism. The nanodispersed inorganic network produced in the organic matrix was characterized by scanning electron microphotography (SEM). Gas permeation measurements were accomplished at various pressures with CO2 and CH4. For PEBAX-TEOS (10 wt%) nanocomposite membrane, CO2 permeability increased to 84.58% in compare with pure PEBAX. Enhancement in CO2 / CH4 selectivity was observed by increasing the content of silica in hybrid membranes

Nano-composite membrane, Gas separation, PEBAX, TEOS, Sol-Gel