Solution Casting Blending: An Effective Way for Tailoring Gas Transport and Mechanical Properties of Poly(vinyl butyral) and Pebax2533

Abstract

Polymer blending is a suitable approach for tailoring the gas-separation properties of polymeric membranes. Films based on poly­(vinyl butyral)/poly­(ether-block-amide) (PVB/Pebax) blends were prepared by the solution casting and solvent evaporation technique. The films were characterized for miscibility, mechanical and spectral properties by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), tensile testing and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The permeation of permanent gases was measured at a feed pressure of 1 bar. The data were interpreted with theoretical macroscopic models. Miscible blends were obtained, as shown by thermal and mechanical testing, while specific molecular interactions between the two polymers were revealed by FTIR analysis. DMA and DSC results indicated that the two components were miscible, while the permeation tests provided data consistent with a homogeneous blend system due to the interfacial interaction between the phases. The developed PVB/Pebax blend membranes provided an optimized performance with a good combination of permeability, selectivity, thermal and mechanical stability.

Novel Polyvinyl Butyral/Monoacylglycerol Nanofibrous Membrane with Antifouling Activity

“…Figure 5 presents DSC patterns for the PVB nanofibers from the first heating scan, for which the temperature range of 0–150 °C was selected. In the case of the unmodified PVB fibers (12 wt%), a glass transition temperature (Tg) was observed at 61 °C, comparable with data obtained for a PVB membrane prepared by solvent casting reported in Reference [ 54 ]. Adding monocaprin resulted in suppressing the T g peak and shifting it to a lower value, ca 40 °C, and this was possibly caused by partial miscibility of the PVB matrix and MAG 10 [ 55 ].…”

“…The PVB sample showed characteristic peaks for this polymer, with vibrations at 1130 and 997 cm −1 corresponding to the C–O–C bonds of the cyclic acetal group. The broad peak around 3450 cm −1 indicates hydroxyl bonds [ 54 ]. In PVB fibers supplemented with MAG 10, the PVB groups were preserved and a new peak at 1730 cm −1 was shown, corresponding to C=O carbonyl stretch.…”

Recent Advancements in Polysulfone Based Membranes for Fuel Cell (PEMFCs, DMFCs and AMFCs) Applications: A Critical Review

“…A favorable and cost-effective method to report this issue is to: (i) blend SPSU with other polymers. In practice, this approach is commonly applied in order to modify the characteristics of a virgin macromolecule, attaining superior properties in the resulting blended materials [88][89][90][91]. (ii) The preparation of composite membranes by dispersion of inorganic fillers including silica (SiO2) [92], titania (TiO2) [93], zeolites [94], and heteropoly acids inside the polymer matrix have been demonstrated to satisfactorily enhance the ionic conductivity of the resulting electrolyte without sacrificing its mechanical resistance [95,96]; and (iii) the introduction of functionalized 2D-layered materials (example, graphene oxide, smectite clay, layered double hydroxides (LDHs), and siliceous layered materials) effectively lowers the methanol permeability in Nafion-based membranes and simultaneously improves their proton conductivity, water retention capacity, and thermo-mechanical resistance [97][98][99][100].…”

Optimized Polymeric Membranes for Water Treatment: Fabrication, Morphology, and Performance

“…Several techniques are employed for fabricating polymer-based membranes, serving both research and industrial purposes. Notable methods include interfacial polymerization (IP), sputtering, solution casting, extruding, melt pressing, phase inversion, and electrospinning, all commonly applied for producing polymeric membranes [ 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ]. Figure 3 illustrates a graphical depiction of some of these fabrication techniques.…”