Silver Nanoparticle-Engineered Sodium Alginate Nanocomposite Membranes for Enhanced Gas Separation Performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68127/xwgzhv08Keywords:
Silver nanoparticles, Nanocomposite membranes, Gas separation, Gas permeability, ; Carbon dioxide separation, Solution casting, Polymer nanocompositesAbstract
Silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-engineered sodium alginate (SA) nanocomposite membranes were created by solution casting followed by CaCl₂ crosslinking utilizing a fixed sodium alginate concentration (5 wt.%) and varied AgNP loadings (0.5–2.0 wt.%). The membranes were tested for single-gas permeation of O₂, N₂, and CO₂ at a 2-bar supply pressure. The incorporation of AgNPs considerably altered the membrane microstructure, increased polymer-nanoparticle interactions, and adjusted free-volume properties, resulting in improved gas transport compared to pure SA membranes. Because of homogeneous nanoparticle dispersion and little agglomeration within the polymer matrix, optimal AgNP loading achieved the best balance of gas permeability and perfect selectivity. The nanocomposite membranes exhibited preferential CO₂ permeability and increased CO₂/N₂ and CO₂/O₂ selectivity, resulting in gas transport via solution-diffusion. The increased structural stability and separation performance show that AgNP inclusion is a useful method for adjusting the transport properties of sodium alginate membranes. These sustainable nanocomposite membranes hold great promise for energy-efficient industrial gas separation and carbon capture applications.
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The data used in this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.