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Enhanced CO2/CH4 Permselectivity in Partially Hydrolyzed EVA Membranes via Synergistic PEG Plasticization and Amine-Functionalized Silica Incorporation
Author(s)
Date Issued
March 27, 2026
Type
Article
Abstract
The separation of carbon dioxide (CO2) from methane (CH4) in biogas is essential for increasing the fuel quality. However, conventional membrane-based separation under high pressure is not suitable for household biogas systems due to operational cost and complexity. This study aims to develop low-pressure gas separation membranes based on partially hydrolyzed ethylene vinyl acetate (p-E) copolymers by incorporating poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a plasticizer and amine-functionalized silica (APTES-modified SiO2) as a polar filler. The hydrolysis of EVA improves mechanical strength by increasing hydrogen bonding. PEG addition enhances the free volume and CO2 affinity, while the well-dispersed surface-treated SiO2 increases membrane polarity and suppresses CH4 permeation. Among the tested membranes, the optimal formulation (p-EP400(15)-S0.6) containing 15 wt % PEG400 and 0.6 wt % APTES-SiO2 achieves the highest CO2/CH4 selectivity (∼22) and a high CO2 permeability (∼1400 g/m2·day). These findings demonstrate a promising strategy to develop effective membranes for biogas upgrading under ambient conditions.
Citation
ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 8(6), 4601-4611, 2026