Polymeric membranes are susceptible
to aging and plasticization,
which alters their separation properties since polymeric chain mobility
within the membrane matrix is greatly affected. Hence, the implementation
of these materials in industrial applications has been limited. However,
cross-linking of polymeric membranes is a robust methodology to enhance
their physical and mechanical properties. In this regard, thermal
cross-linking is advantageous over chemical cross-linking since it
could be applied directly to membranes without the addition of exogenous
reagents. In this paper, we report the synthesis of a CARDO(OH)-containing
copolyimide, amenable to thermal cross-linking due to the hydroxyl
groups within the CARDO(OH) monomer. Membranes prepared from the 6FDA-Durene/CARDO(OH)
(3:1) copolyimide underwent thermal cross-linking at 200 °C for
varying durations (up to 96 h), and their pure- and mixed-gas separation
performances were assessed. The mixed-gas studies were conducted under
aggressive conditions of high feed pressures (20.7–62.0 bar)
and operational temperatures (25–55 °C), aimed to closely
simulate real-world scenarios for natural gas purification. Notably,
the thermally cross-linked 6FDA-Durene/CARDO(OH) (3:1) for 96 h exhibited
a mixed-gas CO2 permeability coefficient of 219 Barrer
and a CO2/CH4 selectivity of 26.1 at 34.5 bar
and 45 °C. Moreover, the membrane did not show any sign of plasticization
under elevated feed pressures of up to 62.0 bar. This work demonstrates
the effectiveness of thermal cross-linking in developing high-performance
polymeric membranes under realistic conditions of pressure and temperature.
Upcoming research endeavors will concentrate on creating and evaluating
hollow fiber modules, aiming to replicate similar morphologies employed
in industrial applications.