Mass transport in carbon membranes

Abstract

Carbon molecular sieve membranes (CMSMs) are inorganic membranes produced by carbonization of a thermosetting polymer. The selection of the adequate polymer, the conditions of carbonization and post-carbonization treatment allow the production of a large variety of porous structures. The mass transport of species through these porous structures is not easy to model in detail. This review reports the last developments in the field of mass transport through CMSMs. The membrane production is also briefly touched upon, followed by the definition of transport equations and a description of detailed models for these membranes.