Mesoporous PET-Based Materials with Closed Porosity and Gas-Separating Properties

An approach to prepare highly porous polymeric material with continuous-solid surface layer (closed porosity) has been elaborated. The materials exhibiting excellent diffusion and selective properties of the matrix (polyethylene terephthalate, PET) and showing high gas permeability due to the high porosity have been prepared using the elaborated method. The permeability of such materials has been 40 times higher than that of the pristine 50 µm PET film. The structure of the closed-porous PET films prepared in this study has been found similar to asymmetric membranes, yet their permeability towards the probed gases has been stable over prolonged period (7 months), the mechanical properties being preserved as well.