Diffusional gas transport of a H2/CO2 mixture versus N2 in the pore system of hardened cement pastes was studied at four temperatures up to 350 °C in a Wicke-Kallenbach cell. The pastes possessed separation factors αH2,CO2 from 1.42 to 3.43, i.e. the diffusion of hydrogen took place considerably faster than the diffusion of carbon dioxide. The separation factors depended on the threshold radii of the pastes, smaller threshold radii leading to higher separation factors. The Knudsen numbers of the controlling constrictions of the pore system and the temperature dependence of the effective diffusion coefficients of the gases show that gas transport in these constrictions takes place in the transient regime between Knudsen diffusion and bulk diffusion, smaller constriction widths leading to predominating Knudsen diffusion. It is therefore possible to use cement paste membranes to separate gas components of low molecular weight from higher weight components.
The efficiency of wood gasification can be improved by applying membrane based gas separation operations in several of its sub-processes. In the present study the use of membranes made of hardened cement pastes for this purpose was investigated to provide a low cost alternative to conventional membrane materials. The pastes were tested for their diffusional properties in a Wicke-Kallenbach cell and analyzed with regard to their pore structure. The use of low water to binder ratios and slag and/or pozzolans led to a finer pore structure and higher separation factors; in particular, an approximately linear dependence of the separation factors on the threshold radii was observed. The results implicated that Knudsen diffusion is the prevailing diffusion mechanism in the membranes. Deviations from the theoretically expected separation factors were found, which may be ascribed to concentration polarization and channeling effects.