International Journal of Chemical Engineering
Volume 2009 (2009), Article ID 147879, 6 pages
doi:10.1155/2009/147879
Research Article

Influence of Pyrolysis Parameters on the Performance of CMSM

Marta C. Campo,1 Tymen Visser,2 Kitty Nijmeijer,2 Matthias Wessling,2 Fernão D. Magalhães,1 and Adélio M. Mendes1

1Laboratory of Process, Environment and Energy Engineering (LEPAE), Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
2Membrane Technology Group (MTG), Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, 7500 Enschede, The Netherlands

Received 1 October 2008; Revised 29 January 2009; Accepted 11 March 2009

Academic Editor: Eugénio C. Ferreira

Copyright © 2009 Marta C. Campo et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Carbon hollow fiber membranes have been prepared by pyrolysis of a P84/S-PEEK blend. Proximate analysis of the precursor was performed using thermogravimetry (TGA), and a carbon yield of approximately 40% can be obtained. This study aimed at understanding the influence of pyrolysis parameters—end temperature, quenching effect, and soaking time—on the membrane properties. Permeation experiments were performed with N2, He, and CO2. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been done for all carbon hollow fibers. The highest permeances were obtained for the membrane submitted to an end temperature of 750°C and the highest ideal selectivities for an end temperature of 700°C. In both cases, the membranes were quenched to room temperature.