• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.214-219
• /
• 2018

In the present study, superflux nickel capillary supports for gas and vapor separation membranes were prepared by a combined process of NIPS and sintering. Nickel capillary precursors were prepared by NIPS process from PSf-Ni-DMAC-PEG400 dope solution and was sintered at various temperatures in $H_2$ atmosphere to reliably produce Ni capillary support. The optimized Ni capillary support has an outer and inner diameters of 722 and $550{\mu}m$, and its thickness was $94{\mu}m$. It has 3-dimensional pore channel network and its porosity and mean pore diameter was 26% and $4{\mu}m$, respectively. Also, its mechanical strength was tested in tensile mode: its fracture load was 2.84 kgf and the fracture elongation was 13%. Finally, its single gas permeance was measured: He, $N_2$, $O_2$, and $CO_2$ permeance was 432,327, 281,119, 264,259, and 193,143 GPU, respectively. The superflux behavior could be explained from viscous flow through the macropores having a diameter of $4{\mu}m$ and narrow thickness. It could be concluded that the superflux behavior of the Ni capillary support was from the 3-D pore channel network and the small thickness.