Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) hollow fibre membranes for gas separation

Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) gas separation hollow fibre membranes were produced from multicomponent dopes using dry/wet forced convection spinning. Membranes spun from a low polymer content solution exhibited disappointing gas separation properties. Their low selectivities were indicative of thick skins and high surface porosities. In contrast, high polymer content spun fibres showed good gas separation properties. Selectivities were high, active layers relatively thin and surface porosities moderate. Coating with poly(dimethylsiloxane) nullified the surface pores. The favourable performance of the high polymer content spun fibres was also related to shear rate and forced convection residence time during spinning. To the knowledge of the authors, this work represents the first reported success in producing PVC hollow fibre membranes with morphologies suitable for gas separation. The development of PVC hollow fibres relates to the ultimate quest to produce membranes capable of reliably separating oxygen and ozone gas mixtures.