| TECHNOLOGY |
Researchers have ultrasonically prepd a robust, NANOporous C membrane that allows O molecules to pass through its pores 30 times faster than N molecules.
The researchers report that air passed through the C membrane was enriched by 100% - changing from 21% O to 44%. The enrichment would have been considerably greater if the membrane had performed ideally - that is , true to its ideal O/N selectivity of 30.
The researchers prepare their C membranes by ultrasonically dispersing Poly(Furfuryl Alc.) into tiny droplets, which are deposited in thin films on a porous stainless steel tube. The coated tube is then pyrolyzed at 450C, creating a 15- to 20-micro.m-thick film that consists of a chaotic assemblage of fullerene shards bonded together
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