Enhancing natural gas dehumidification with Pebax/Silica mixed matrix membrane: a comprehensive study

ABSTRACT

In this study, a new polymer membrane was developed for natural gas dehumidification using the combination of hydrophilic silica nanoparticles in the Pebax polymer matrix. The membranes were characterized using various analytical methods including FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TGA. The results indicated that adding nanoparticles increased the porosity and thermal stability of the membranes. Also, the enhancement of copolymer hydrophilicity was confirmed by reducing contact angles. The study found that increasing the nanoparticle content from 0 w% to 3 w% at 15 bar pressure resulted in a 33% increase in water permeability and a 12% increase in methane permeability. Adding of silica also increased the H2O/CH4 selectivity from 24.17 to 27.34. Moreover, at higher temperatures (from 25 to 55°C), the permeability of H2O and CH4 reached 171.3 and 10.71 bar, respectively. The findings of this study show that the inclusion of hydrophilic silica nanoparticles in the Pebax matrix can enhance the efficiency of membranes for natural gas dehumidification. Additionally, the study highlights the significance of temperature in the design and implementation of such membranes.

Graphical abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Membrane separation
• dehumidification
• Pebax polymer
• silica nanoparticles
• natural gas

Acknowledgements

The present study was supported by Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sajjad Delavaran

Sajad Delavaran has now received his master’s degree in chemical engineering from Golestan University, where his research is focused on energy and membranes.

Nasibeh Hajilary

Nasibeh Hajilary received her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Tarbiat Modares University and is currently a professor at Golestan University. Her research areas are mainly focused on membrane, carbon emission, energy, and optimization in oil & gas process. She has published more than 30 academic papers in journals in the above fields and has chaired several projects.