Japan's Toray company developed a carbon dioxide separation membrane by using porous carbon fibers

According to the latest information released on the official website of Toray on April 15, the company has successfully invented a carbon dioxide (CO2) separation membrane with a dual all-carbon structure.
This dual structure includes hollow porous carbon fibers and The thin carbon film separation layer on the surface
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? The membrane has excellent CO2 separation performance and high durability.
Compared with the traditional inorganic separation membrane, the membrane can make the equipment more compact
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It is reported that Toray will increase its research and development efforts in the future and deploy this separation membrane in social infrastructure
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? Carbon dioxide (CO2) separation membrane with a dual all-carbon structure? CO2 separation technology is essential for the use of carbon dioxide to achieve a circular carbon economy.
The technology usually uses CO2 absorption and adsorption equipment
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However, the problem with such devices and technologies is that they consume too much energy, which has also promoted research on energy-saving membrane separation technologies worldwide
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? The separation layer with a pore diameter of less than 1 nanometer is thinner and has better gas permeability, but lower pressure resistance needs to be used in combination with the support layer
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The conventional inorganic support layer is hard and fragile, and its diameter cannot be reduced, thereby preventing dense module packaging and miniaturization
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? In November 2019, Toray successfully developed the world's first porous carbon fiber with continuous, nano/micro-scale pore structure.
About the excellent characteristics and potential applications of this fiber, read "Japan Toray New Porous Carbon Fiber: Permeable , Excellent adsorption and conductivity" (read the original text)
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This porous carbon fiber with a continuous pore structure can provide a support layer for the gas separation membrane.
By forming the hollow fiber, the gas separation membrane has excellent gas permeability, chemical resistance and heat resistance
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? The company's new carbon dioxide separation membrane uses thin hollow fiber porous carbon fibers with a diameter of less than 300 microns as a support layer, and on the surface is a uniform carbon membrane separation layer only a few microns thick
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Since the support layer and the separation layer are independent of each other, this separation membrane provides excellent CO2 separation and durability
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? This kind of CO2 separation membrane is very soft, very thin, and can be continuously produced like ordinary fiber
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High-density packaging makes the module miniaturized
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Under the same volume, the CO2 transmission rate can be 5 times higher than that of conventional inorganic CO2 separation membrane modules
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? One potential use of Toray's new CO2 separation membrane is the purification of natural gas and biogas
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It can select the gas to be separated by using the functional layer, and it can also be used for hydrogen production and purification, waste CO2 separation and other gas separation applications
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? The CO2 separation membrane products that the company is developing? Toray will make use of the innovation center capabilities of the future R&D and innovation center of the Shiga factory established by the company in 1926, and will be more advanced through cooperation with academic institutions and key partners from different fields The commercialization of gas separation membranes has achieved strategic open innovation
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The company hopes to help the world balance greenhouse gas emissions and absorption by using its innovative technology and advanced materials, in line with Toray Group's sustainable development vision and Toray's 2030 vision
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? It is reported that in the follow-up work, Toray will always adhere to the corporate philosophy of "creating new value through innovative ideas, technologies and products to contribute to society", continue to help solve environmental, resource and energy issues, and continue to conduct research and development to Achieve carbon neutrality
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