Computer-Aided Design and Fabrication of Advanced Membranes for Nitrogen/Methane Separation
Jimoh K. ADEWOLE, Mohammed S. AL-AJMI, Amna S. AL-JABRI, Faisal R. AL MARZUQI, Habeebllah B. OLADIPO, Faruq B. Owoyale
Abstract. One of the effective strategies for advancing the goals of process intensification is the purposeful introduction of reproducible structures through a combination of computer-aided molecular design and print-assisted fabrication techniques. In this study, molecular models of two polymers—MDA and ODA—were developed using Avogadro software. These models were subsequently fabricated into membranes using a print-assisted method, specifically employing a LaserJet printer to produce structured flat-sheet composite membranes. The membranes were evaluated for their performance in N₂/CH₄ gas separation. Characterization of the membranes was conducted using microscopy, while gas transport properties and separation performance were assessed via constant-pressure gas permeation tests, measuring both permeability and hydraulic resistance. Although the same substrate was used for printing both polymers, the hydraulic resistance varied significantly between the materials and the gases tested. For MDA, resistance to N₂ and CH₄ ranged from 38,560.78 to 95,697.10 kPa·s/m³, whereas ODA exhibited a range of 28,132.33 to 88,124.16 kPa·s/m³. In terms of selectivity for N₂/CH₄, ODA demonstrated values of 2.34 and 3.10 for single-layer and seven-layer membranes, respectively, compared to 1.71 and 1.92 for MDA under the same conditions. Morphological analysis revealed that the printed membranes possessed well-defined structures with evenly distributed voids, contributing to enhanced reproducibility and predictability in performance. Overall, the fabricated membranes exhibit promising characteristics for intensifying membrane-based separation processes, particularly in the context of N₂/CH₄ separation.
Keywords
Membrane Engineering, Process Intensification, Driving Forces/Resistances, Computer-Aided Molecular Design, Print-Assisted Membrane Fabrication, Hydraulic Resistance
Published online 1/15/2026, 7 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Jimoh K. ADEWOLE, Mohammed S. AL-AJMI, Amna S. AL-JABRI, Faisal R. AL MARZUQI, Habeebllah B. OLADIPO, Faruq B. Owoyale, Computer-Aided Design and Fabrication of Advanced Membranes for Nitrogen/Methane Separation, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 59, pp 201-207, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903957-26
The article was published as article 26 of the book Separation Technology
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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