A highly selective polybenzimidazole-4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)bis(benzoic acid) membrane for high-temperature hydrogen separation

ABSTRACT A polymeric gas separation membrane utilizing polybenzimidazole based on 4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene)bis(benzoic acid) was prepared. The synthesized membrane has an effective permeating area of 8.3 cm2 and a thickness of 30 ± 2 µm. Gas permeation properties of the membrane were determined using H2, CO2, CO, and N2 at temperatures ranging from 24°C to 200°C. The PBI‐HFA membranes not only exhibited excellent H2 permeability, but it also displayed superior gas separation performance particularly for H2/N2 and H2/CO2. The permeation parameters for both permeability and selectivity [ PH2 and α(H2/N2); PH2 and α(H2/CO2)] obtained for the new material were found to be dependent on trans‐membrane pressure difference as well as temperature, and were found to surpass those reported by Robeson in 2008. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42371.