Investigation of gas separation on polyaniline laminar composite membranes

Membranes prepared of pure PANI reportedly showed satisfactory selectivity and low permeability. Some data, scarce as yet, indicate that there exists a possibility of changing the selectivity coefficient by doping the conductive polymer. We report the results of a study on the possibilities of using composite membranes, with PANI as an active, gas-mixture-separation constituent and with polystyrene as a carrier substrate. Permeability coefficients were used to obtain the ideal gas-transport selectivity coefficient for H₂, N₂ and O₂. The results of the measurements are presented as a dependence of permeability and selectivity coefficients on PANI layer thickness in composite membrane, protonation degree and the size of the doping anion.