The absorption of carbon dioxide by thin films containing an ion exchange polymer

✍ Scribed by Wolfe, Ralph G. ;Miller, Irving F. ;Gregor, Harry P.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1970
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 659 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-9304
• DOI: 10.1002/jbm.820040304

✦ Synopsis

A thin polymeric film, containing a basic polyelectrolyte, was developed with properties that potentially make it highly suitable for use in a membrane blood oxygenator. Its COZ absorption capacity was correlated as a function of the COZ partial pressure, temperature and relative humidity of the processed gas. The correlation showed a linear dependence with CO, partial pressure and relative humidity and an Arrhenius dependence with temperature. A four-step mechanism for the absorption process was postulated and its parameters were evalutaed. The apparent diffusion constant for COz was five times that measured for an ionexchange resin made from the polyelectrolyte. The capacity and mechanism correlations obtained are suitable for the design of R CO, removal unit for a recirculated air atmosphere as well as for a blood oxygenator. The permeability of the film to COz and 0, was measured and the ratio was found to be far greater than that of most commercial materials. This suggests that a blood oxygenator utilizing such a film would have the controlling resistance to transfer on the oxygen side, rather than on the blood side, thus perhaps avoiding bubbling on the blood side altogether.