Characterization and Modeling of CO₂ Transport through Fluorinated Thermoplastics

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one of the most viable solutions to limit the CO 2 emission in the atmosphere, with the potential to be applied at short-medium time scales. In this concern, polymeric materials play a relevant role in protecting equipment in the CO 2 transport value chain (such as pipelines, pumps, vessels, or compressors). Among the various classes of polymers, fluorinated materials look promising for such application due to their excellent thermal and chemical resistance, combined with a favorable interaction with CO 2 in its supercritical or in a liquid state. This work explores the sorption, diffusion, and permeation properties of various fluorinated thermoplastic polymers when exposed to high-pressure carbon dioxide. Furthermore, the obtained results are analyzed by a thermodynamic equation of state (EoS) to describe the solubility behavior, while the standard transport model (STM) provides a reliable representation of gas transport. That allows the understanding of the penetrant–polymer interaction and the effect of dense phase CO 2 on polymer-based materials in a wide range of temperatures and pressures. The comparison of sorption and transport data by means of the dedicated model allows the reliable prediction of the effects of CO 2 on such fluorinated polymers at all desired temperature and pressure ranges, relevant for CO 2 transport (e.g., dense phase CO 2, up to supercritical conditions).