Importance

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Abstract

The invention is a membrane comprising a dense skin of a polyestercarbonate, wherein the diphenolic residue in the backbone of the polyestercarbonate is a tetrabromo diphenolic residue, wherein the membrane has a separation factor for oxygen and nitrogen of 6.5 or greater at about 24.degree. C. In another aspect, the invention is a method of separating oxygen from a mixture of gases comprising nitrogen and oxygen, wherein the method comprises (a) contacting the gas mixture with a thin, non-porous membrane comprising a polyestercarbonate described hereinbefore under conditions such that the oxygen selectively permeates through the membrane to the other side of the membrane; and (b) removing the permeated oxygen from the other side of the membrane, wherein separation factor for the oxygen and nitrogen is 6.5 or greater at about 24.degree. C. The membranes of this invention demonstrate surprisingly high separation factors for oxygen and nitrogen separations. The membranes of this invention have good mechanical properties and therefore are useful under more extreme conditions, for example temperature and pressure, than many commercially used membranes.

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First Claim