Investigation of gas separation properties of poly (urethane) / poly (ether block amid) (PU/PEBA) polymeric blend membrane

The interest in the use of polymeric blends as gas separation membranes is associated with the possibility of gas transport management through the morphological control of the crosssectionof the material, which is mainly dependent on blend components, phases and interface characteristics .Polyurethane(PU) chemistry allows variations in chemical composition, and therefore, changes in bulk morphologies, which havemotivated extensive studies of PU-based membranes for gasseparation [1]. Park et al summarized the factors determining the gas permeation behavior of PU as follows: (i) harddomain-soft domain ratio,and (ii) class and molecular weight of polyols and chain extenders. Poly(ether-block-amide)(PEBA) resin is best known under the trademark PEBAX, and is a thermoplastic elastomer combining linear chains of rigid polyamide segments interspaced with flexible polyether segments. This crystalline/amorphous structure creates a blend of properties of thermoplastics and rubbers [2].