Universiti Teknologi Petronas

About: Universiti Teknologi Petronas is a education organization based out in Ipoh, Malaysia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Adsorption & Ionic liquid. The organization has 6127 authors who have published 11284 publications receiving 119400 citations.

Preparation of asymmetric polysulfone/polyimide blended membranes for CO2 separation

Abstract: Asymmetric Flat sheet polysulfone-polyimide (PSF-PI) blended polymeric membranes (with PI content from 5–20%) have been fabricated following phase inversion technique. The membranes have been thoroughly characterized by the measurement of porosity, mechanical properties and also by SEM, FTIR and DSC analyses. With the increase in the PI content, the mechanical properties of the membranes, like Young’s modulus, tensile strength and elongation at break, increased. SEM investigations revealed that the surfaces of fabricated blended membranes possessed adequate homogeneity and their cross-sections showed non-porous top and diminutive porous substructure. From DSC analyses it has been observed that different compositions of the blended membranes exhibited single glass transition temperatures, implying proper compatibility of the polymers. The permeance of CO2 and CH4 through the membrane increased with the increase in PI content and it gradually decreased with the increase in the feed pressure in the range of 2–10 bar. Under the present investigation, the membrane with 20% PI content exhibited the maximum selectivity for the separation of CO2/CH4 gas mixes.

Dissolution and Separation of Wood Biopolymers Using Ionic Liquids

Abstract: The majority of the world energy needs have been supplied from petroleum resources. While they are an efficient energy provider, their usage has caused pollution problems that warrant the need to search for efficient and cleaner energy sources. The ever growing global demand of energy and the concerns for the environment have prompted researchers to develop convenient and efficient ways to convert biomass into valuable chemicals, bio-fuels, and useful biomaterials. This review focuses on the application of ionic liquids for the dissolution of wood biomass and wood-derived compounds. The factors which affect the dissolution of cellulose and lignin in ionic liquids are described as well as the effects of ionic liquids on the physical properties of cellulose. The use of ionic liquids alone or in combination with other co-solvent systems which help in the fractionation of wood biomass are discussed. Additionally, the cost economic aspects of ionic liquid applications are highlighted.