Nanocomposite sodalite/ceramic membrane for pre-combustion CO2 capture: synthesis and morphological characterization

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is amongst the possible options to reduce CO2 emission. In the application of CCS, CO2 capture techniques such as adsorption and membrane system have been proposed due to less energy requirement and environmental benign than the absorption process. However, membrane system has drawbacks such as poor membrane reproducibility, scale-up difficulty and high cost of the membrane supports. In this study synthesis and characterization of nanocomposite sodalite (HS)/ceramic membrane via “pore-plugging” hydrothermal synthesis (PPH) protocol for pre-combustion CO2 capture is reported. The morphology and crystallinity of the as-prepared membranes were checked with scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Surface chemistry of the membrane was examined with Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. In nanocomposite architecture membranes, zeolite crystals are embedded within the pores of the supports instead of forming thin-film layers of the zeolite crystals on the surface of the supports. Compared to the conventional in situ direct hydrothermal synthesis, membranes obtained from PPH possess higher mechanical strength and thermal stability. In addition, defect control with nanocomposite architecture membranes is possible because the zeolite crystals are embedded within the pores of the support, thereby limiting the maximum defect size to the pore size of the support. Furthermore, the nanocomposite architecture nature of the membranes safeguards the membrane from shocks or abrasion that could promote formation of defects. The aforementioned advantages of the nanocomposite architecture membranes could be beneficial in developing high performance and cost-effective membrane materials for pre-combustion CO2 capture. © 2016, The Author(s).