Preparation, Characterization and Permeation Behavior of Poly(methyl acrylate)-Poly(dimethyl siloxane)-Poly(methyl acrylate) Block Copolymer/Poly(vinyl acetate) Blend Membranes

Structure of polymeric materials is of the most important factors in determination of the characteristics and properties of the membranes. Various research and developments on polymeric membranes confirm the direct correlation between structure-properties of polymeric membranes. In this research, the structural outcome of poly(methyl acrylate)-poly(dimethyl siloxane)-poly(methyl acrylate)/poly(vinyl acetate) blend membranes and its relationship with gas permeation behavior of the blends were investigated. The flexible block copolymer of poly(methyl acrylate)-poly(dimethyl siloxane)-poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA-PDMS-PMA) was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization. Morphology and chemical structure of the synthesized block copolymer was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, gel permeation chromatography, X-ray diffraction analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy. Blend membranes of PMA-PDMS-PMA and poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) were prepared by solution casting method in different compositions. By adding poly(vinyl acetate) to PMA-PDMS-PMA block copolymer, the selectivity of the membranes for carbon dioxide/methane pair gases were increased by 55%. Fractional free volume (an indication of chain packing efficiency in blend membranes) and dielectric constant (an indication of the molar volume and molar polarization of the blend membranes) were obtained as the factors reflected the microstructural effect of PMA-PDMS-PMA and PVAc blend membranes. The efforts were directed toward expressing more precise structure-properties relationship of PMA-PDMS-PMA/PVAc blend membranes. The experimental permeability values of the blend membranes reported in this research were compared with the modified logarithmic model. The modified logarithmic model was evaluated for other blend membranes.