Effect of Post-Functionalization Conditions on the Carbon Dioxide Adsorption Properties of Aminosilane-Grafted Zirconia/Titania/Silica-Poly(amide-imide) Composite Hollow Fiber Sorbents

Abstract

In this study, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APS) was used as a grafting agent in three solvents with different polarities for post-functionalization of a ZrO₂-TiO₂-SiO₂/poly(amide-imide) composite hollow fiber sorbent (Zr-Ti-Si/PAI-HF) at ambient temperature. The same fiber at two different states: (i) wet (as-spun) and (ii) dry were used for amine grafting. The influence of the polarity/nature of various solvents such as acetone, ethanol, and toluene on the CO₂ sorption characteristics of wet and dry Zr-Ti-Si/PAI-HF fibers was investigated accordingly. Several parameters such as grafting time (1-4 h), amine concentration (10-50 wt %), and solvent type (acetone, ethanol, and toluene) were systematically varied. The CO₂ sorption capacity and breakthrough tests were performed under simulated flue gas conditions for grafted fiber composites. Our results indicate that the CO₂ sorption capacity of amine-grafted Zr-Ti-Si/PAI-HF strongly depends on both the type of solvent and the state of the fibers (i.e., dryness or wetness). The APS grafting of wet fibers performed in toluene led to high amine loading and CO₂ capacity (1.40 mmol g-1), whereas dry fibers gave rise to a relatively low CO₂ capacity (0.90 mmol g-1). In contrast, dry fibers functionalized in either acetone or ethanol exhibited higher CO₂ capacity compared to the wet fibers prepared in the same solvent. By using ethanol as a solvent, the solvolysis of the Si-O-Si linkages is much faster than the competitive condensation reaction between the silanol groups (Si-OH) of APS moieties and hydroxyl group (OH) of the ethanol, which leads to the lower siloxane formation. In the case of acetone, a dense polymeric network is formed under condensation reaction between an acetone molecule and the amine moieties, thus reducing the amount of primary amine groups available for interacting with the CO₂ molecules.

Department(s)

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Acetone; Amides; Carbon; Carbon Dioxide; Composite Materials; Condensation; Condensation Reactions; Ethanol; Fibers; Gas Adsorption; Grafting (Chemical); Molecules; Polyamides; Silicon; Solvents; Sorbents; Sorption; Spinning (Fibers); Titanium Compounds; Toluene; Zirconia; 3-Aminopropyl Trimethoxysilane; Carbon Dioxide Adsorption; Competitive Condensation; Composite Hollow Fibers; Fiber Technology; Post-Functionalization; Primary Amine Groups; Sorption Characteristics; Organic Solvents; CO2 Capture

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2194-4288

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2017 Wiley-VCH, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Feb 2017

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