PERMEATION OF PURE AND MIXED GASES THROUGH COMPOSITE MEMBRANES PREPARED BY PLASMA POLYMERLZATION OF FLUOROCARBONS

The permeation, solution and diffusion of simple gases ($He, H_2, O_2, N_2$ and CH$_4$) and condensible vapers($CO_2, SO_2, C_2H_4$ and $C_3H_8$), and the mixed gases ($O_2/N_2$ mixtures and $CO_2/CH_4$ mixtures) through composite membrane was studied. Composit membranes were made by deposition of aromatic fluorocarbons onto polymer substrams of porous Celgard in a microwave discharge. In the both cases of simple gases and condensible vapors, as the kinetic molecular diameter of the permeant molecules increased, the permeability decreased. However, when the kinetic molecular dimemr are similar, the condensible vapors showed higher permeabilities than that of permanent gases. The vapor solubility increased with increasing critical temperature of the vapors. However, in the case of propane, despite its high critical temperature, it showed lower solubility than other vapors. The vapor diffusivity decreased with increasing kinetic diameter of the molecule. Compared to conventional polymers, the plasma polymers showed much lower values for vapor diffusivities. The pressure of the permeant did not affect the permeability. The permeability was also not affected by the composition in cases of mixed gases.