Gas transport property of homo- and copolyimides from isomeric thiaphthalic dianhydride and oxydianiline

Gas transport properties of home- and copolyimides prepared from 3,3',4,4'- and 2,2',3,3'-thiaphthalic dianhydride (p-TDPA and m-TDPA, respectively) with 4,4-oxydianiline (ODA) were investigated. The fractional free volume of m-TDPA-ODA is larger than that of p-TDPA-ODA, and the chain segmental mobility of the former is lower than that of the latter. The permeability coefficients of m-TDPA-ODA to H-2, CO2, and O-2 are more increased by 48, 69 and 75%, at 30 degrees C and 10 atm, respectively, than those of p-TDPA-ODA; but the permselectivities of m-TDPA-ODA for H-2, CO2, and O-2 toward N-2 are more decreased by 33, 77, and 26%, respectively, than those of p-TDPA-ODA. The permeability coefficients and the diffusion coefficients of the copolyimides can be described by the following equations: log P = Phi(p) log P-p + Phi(m), log P-m and log D-a = D-a = Phi(p) log(D-alpha)(p) + Phi(m) log(D-a)(m), respectively. The variation of the permselectivity is controlled predominantly by diffusivity selectivity. These observations are interpreted in terms of variations in the fractional free volume of polyimides. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.