Adsorption Properties of Methane, Ethane, and Hexane on Mesoporous Organic Polymers Prepared by the Flash Freezing Method.

Mesoporous organic polymers, including poly(p-phenylene ether-sulfone) (PES), polysulfone (PSF), poly(bisphenol A-carbonate) (PC), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), were prepared by the previously reported flash freezing method. For the four polymers, the vapor adsorption of water and hydrocarbons (C2H6, C3H8, and C6H14) was examined. PVC showed that the hydrocarbon adsorption was more selective than water adsorption. The isosteric heats of adsorption were determined from the temperature dependence of the vapor adsorption of the hydrocarbons and water. This showed the weak interaction of PVC with water and its stronger (but not too strong) interaction with hydrocarbons. The hydrophobicity and mesoporosity of PVC were determined to be suitable for such selective adsorption of hydrocarbons compared to that of water with low energy consumption during the desorption process of the hydrocarbons. Mesoporous PVC should considered a candidate for the recovery of flammable gases from water/hydrocarbon mixtures.