Fabrication of hollow fiber membranes via NIPS spinning system for CO2 capture

Abstract

Abstract. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial activities remain one of the greatest contributors to global climate change. Hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) have emerged as a promising technology for post-combustion CO2 separation owing to their high surface-area-to-volume ratio and scalability. This work focuses on the fabrication of HFMs with an emphasis on gas separation, particularly CO2, using the non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) spinning process for HFMs fabrication. The process allows specific control over dope and bore fluid selection, and flowrates, enabling the formation of asymmetric structures with desirable porosity, mechanical strength and suitable morphology for gas separation. The fabrication of polyethersulfone (PES)-based HFMs via NIPS, with 3 wt% polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a pore-forming additive, served as a foundational and basic study framework to provide an overview of the general hollow fibre membrane fabrication process. Preliminary assessments demonstrated the suitability of the fabricated membranes for gas separation applications as per requirements of membrane-based carbon capture technologies. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), gas permeability tests, and tensile testing all revealed improvements in morphology, porosity, and mechanical strength, implying that this method for fabricating hollow fibre membranes has significant potential for tuning hollow fibre membranes for gas separation applications. Finally, the potential of HFM-based systems for energy-efficient CO2 capture is highlighted to be explored further.