Membrane Technology: A Search for Membranes for Submarine Atmosphere Control

Abstract

This overview of membrane technology covers the development of devices which can separate carbon dioxide from air and many other feed gases, and the factors influencing selection and performance of such systems. Of the polymeric materials investigated for the separation of carbon dioxide from air, dimethyl silicone (25%) rubber membranes exhibit the highest permeability for carbon dioxide, while cellulose acetate exhibits the highest separation factor (10.9) of carbon dioxide to oxygen. However, an immobilized film membrane (IFM) device constructed of a cellulose acetate membrane impregnated with a cesium bicarbonate and sodium arsenite solution exhibits the highest recorded separation factor of 4100. Since a membrane must exhibit a separation factor of at least 100 in order to be effective in any life support system, the IFM method is at present the only approach worthy of further research and development in support of submarine atmosphere control.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADA260581

Entities

People

  • S. P. Roe

Organizations

  • Defence Science and Technology Group

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Arsenites
  • Biomedical And Dental Materials
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Composite Materials
  • Films
  • Life Support Systems
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Partial Pressure
  • Permeability
  • Plastics
  • Polymeric Films
  • Polymers
  • Resins
  • Spacecraft
  • Submarine Atmospheres
  • Submarines
  • Transport Ships

Readers

  • Aquatic Ecology
  • Nanocomposite Materials Science
  • Polymer Science and Engineering.