Polysulfone Hollow Fiber Mixed Matrix Membrane Contactor Incorporating Fluorinated Silicon Carbide Nanoparticles for CO2 Absorption.

Abstract

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions are a major driver of global climate change, creating an urgent need for efficient carbon capture technologies. Gas-liquid membrane contactors (GLMCs) offer high interfacial area and operational flexibility, but membrane pore wetting can limit their long-term performance. In this study, fluorinated silicon carbide (F-SiC) nanoparticles were incorporated into polysulfone (PSf) hollow fiber membranes to improve hydrophobicity, wetting resistance, and CO₂ absorption performance. Mixed-matrix membranes containing 0, 2, 4, and 6 wt.% F-SiC were fabricated by wet phase inversion. CO₂ absorption was evaluated using distilled water and 1 M NaOH as absorbents. F-SiC incorporation increased the water contact angle from 77.5° to 107.0° and the critical entry pressure of water (CEPw) from 4.0 to 10.0 bar. The membrane containing 4 wt.% F-SiC (S4) showed the highest CO₂ absorption fluxes of 7.6 × 10^-4 and 1.59 × 10^-3 mol m^-2 s^-1 using distilled water and 1 M NaOH, respectively. Long-term stability tests showed that the onset of flux decline was delayed from 35 h for the pristine membrane to 125 h for S4, while the flux loss after 145 h was reduced from 44.44% to 12.25%, demonstrating excellent resistance to pore wetting. These results highlight the potential of F-SiC-modified PSf hollow fiber membranes for efficient and durable CO₂ capture in GLMC applications.