Morteza Afsari - Separation Processes Research Group (SPRG), Department of Engineering, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran.
Morteza Asghari - Separation Processes Research Group (SPRG), Department of Engineering, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran.
Payam Mohammadi Moghaddam - Department of chemical engineering, Science and Research branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran.

In this work, separation performance of supported carbon membranes produced from Novolac Phenolic resin as the main precursor and carbon nanotubes as nanofiller were investigated for separation of CO۲ from N۲ and CH۴. Supports were produced by carbonization of Novolac Phenolic resin-activated carbon mixture, and selective layer was coated by dip coating of prepared supports into solutions with different concentrations of Novolac Phenolic resin/carbon nanotubes. The composite membranes were pre-oxidized and carbonized under vacuum condition up to ۱۶۰°C and ۷۰۰°C, respectively. Carbon membranes were characterized using FE-SEM, BET, and gas permeation test. Results revealed that the best proportion of Novolac Phenolic resin/activated carbon was ۴۰/۶۰ wt% to make a defect-free and applicable support, most pores of which had sizes less than ۱۰ nm. Membranes were tested at different pressures, and the results showed that CO۲ permeability increased with pressure. The carbon membrane made with ۴۰ wt% Novolak phenolic resin and ۱ wt% carbon nanotubes showed the best separation performance with CO۲/CH۴ and CO۲/N۲ selectivity of ۱۹.۵ and ۱۸.۳ in ۱۰ bar, respectively.

Carbon membrane, Phenolic Resin, Carbon Nanotube, Carbonization, Gas separation