Heterogeneous membranes filled with hypercrosslinked microparticle adsorbent

Synthesis of hypercrosslinked microparticles is described and the effect of reaction conditions on adsorbent properties is discussed. Heterogeneous membranes based on hypercrosslinked microparticle adsorbent with a poly(phenylene oxide) binder were prepared and tested for separation of hydrogen from a isobutane/hydrogen mixture. The separation process was characterized by parameters, such as diffusion flux, permeability, and selectivity. The prepared membranes were superior to the homogeneous ones in permeability and to zeolite-filled membranes in selectivity. Selectivity reached values of about 540 in H2/isobutane separation.