Patent Description:
Gas membrane separation processes have received attention in recent years because of their capability of achieving energy conservation when used as a process for separating CO<NUM> from various gases such as natural or exhaust gases as well as synthetic gases that are synthesized in large-scale plants for hydrogen or urea production.

Various separation membranes have been hitherto proposed as gas separation membranes for use in these gas membrane separation processes. For example, it is proposed in <CIT> (PTD <NUM>) that a CO<NUM> separation membrane may be formed from a resin composition including a reaction mixture obtained by reacting a polyacrylic acid with a predetermined equivalent of aliphatic amine. It is proposed in <CIT> (PTD <NUM>) that a COz-facilitated transport membrane may be made by depositing a gel layer onto a heat-resistant porous membrane, the gel layer having glycine and a deprotonating agent contained in a hydrogel membrane. In <CIT> (PTD <NUM>), a method is proposed for separating gases by using an ion-exchange membrane made from a fluorine-containing polymer having an ion-exchange group with a weak acid or its salt and having a specified amount of ion-exchange capacity.

PTD <NUM> relates to a carbon dioxide separation member which includes: a hydrophobic porous membrane that has heat resistance to a temperature of <NUM>° C or higher; and a polymer compound layer that is formed on a surface of the porous membrane, the polymer compound layer including moisture, and at least one carbon dioxide carrier selected from the group consisting of alkali metal carbonates, alkali metal bicarbonates, and alkali metal hydroxides, and having a cross-linked structure that is formed with a specific single crosslinkable group and includes a specific hydrolysis-resistant bond, wherein the carbon dioxide separation member selectively allows carbon dioxide gas in a mixture of the carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas to permeate therethrough under temperature conditions of from <NUM>° C to <NUM>° C.

PTD <NUM> relates to a CO<NUM>-facilitated transport membrane in which a gel layer (in which cesium carbonate has been added to a polyvinyl alcohol-polyacrylic acid copolymer gel membrane), is supported by a hydrophilic porous membrane.

PTD <NUM> relates to a CO<NUM>-separating gelatinous membrane made of a hydrogel membrane formed by absorbing an aqueous solution containing a CO<NUM> carrier in a vinyl alcohol-acrylate copolymer having a crosslinked structure.

PTD <NUM> relates to a method for obtaining an anionic separating membrane using a crosslinked vinyl polymer having a carboxyl group at the side chain.

However, those gas separation membranes proposed hitherto have been still unsatisfactory in their CO<NUM> permeance, CO<NUM> permselectivity, and film-forming property.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing a gas separation membrane having high CO<NUM> permeance and high CO<NUM> permselectivity with stable film-forming property.

The present invention provides a method for producing a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane, comprising the steps of:.

Preferably, the non-crosslinked polymer contained in the composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane includes a structural unit having one or more functional groups selected from the group consisting of a carboxyl group, a hydroxy group and a carbamoyl group, and the structural unit has a total content of <NUM> mol% to <NUM> mol% based on the total amount of all structural units included in the non-crosslinked polymer.

Preferably, the crosslinked polymer contained in the composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane, in which a polymer having a carboxyl group has been crosslinked, includes a structural unit derived from acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, or a derivative thereof.

Preferably, the at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal bicarbonate, and an alkali metal hydroxide is a carbonate, bicarbonate or hydroxide of at least one alkali metal selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Rb and Cs.

More preferably, the at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal bicarbonate, and an alkali metal hydroxide is cesium carbonate or cesium hydroxide.

The composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane may further contain lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide in addition to the crosslinked polymer, the non-crosslinked polymer, and the carbonate, bicarbonate or hydroxide of at least one alkali metal selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Rb and Cs.

The composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane may further contain a CO<NUM> hydration catalyst.

Preferably, the composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane contains totally <NUM> mole equivalent to <NUM> mole equivalents of alkali metal cations based on the total amount of the carboxyl group and carboxylate included in the crosslinked polymer and the non-crosslinked polymer.

The present invention provides a method for producing a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane including: a separation-functional layer containing the composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane; and a supporting layer including a porous membrane. Preferably, the porous membrane is made from at least one material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, a fluorine-containing resin, polyphenylene sulfide, polyether sulfone, and polyimide.

Preferably, the porous membrane has pores with an average pore diameter of <NUM> to <NUM>.

The present invention provides a method for separating CO<NUM> gas, including: producing a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane by the method as defined above; feeding a gas mixture that contains at least CO<NUM> and water vapor on a surface side of the CO<NUM> gas separation membrane; and separating CO<NUM> from the gas mixture through the other surface side of the gas separation membrane.

The CO<NUM> gas separation membrane formed by the method of the present invention has high CO<NUM> permeance and high CO<NUM> permselectivity with stable film-forming property.

The CO<NUM> gas separation membrane formed by the method of the present invention is significantly characterized in that the membrane includes a separation-functional layer containing a composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane and a supporting layer including a porous membrane, wherein the composition contains: at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal bicarbonate, and an alkali metal hydroxide; a crosslinked polymer in which a polymer having a carboxyl group has been crosslinked; and a non-crosslinked polymer obtainable by polymerization of one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, vinyl esters of fatty acids with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, acrylic acid alkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, methacrylic acid alkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, itaconic acid, itaconic acid dialkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, crotonic acid, crotonic acid alkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, acrylamide and acrylonitrile.

The CO<NUM> gas separation membrane achieves high permselectivity for a specific gas due to a facilitated transport mechanism that includes a substance, called a CO<NUM> carrier, capable of making reversible reaction with CO<NUM> to facilitate permeation of a specific gas in the form of a reaction product with the CO<NUM> carrier, as well as a solution-diffusion mechanism that utilizes a difference in solubility and diffusivity of gas molecules in a membrane. The following formula (<NUM>) represents a reaction between CO<NUM> and a CO<NUM> carrier when the CO<NUM> carrier used therein is cesium carbonate (Cs<NUM>CO<NUM>). As used herein, the symbol "↔" in reaction formulae denotes reversibility in the reactions.

CO<NUM> + Cs<NUM>CO<NUM> + H<NUM>O ↔ 2CsHCO<NUM>     (<NUM>).

Because water is required to make the reversible reaction between CO<NUM> and a CO<NUM> carrier as shown in the formula (<NUM>), a polymer contained in the separation-functional layer of the membrane is preferably a polymer having a carboxyl group that is hydrophilic, more preferably a crosslinked polymer having a network structure where carboxyl group-containing polymer chains are crosslinked with each other, thereby exhibiting an increased water retention property.

Since a large pressure difference is applied as a driving force for gas permeation through the membrane, the crosslinked polymer is preferably used as the polymer contained in the separation-functional layer of the membrane in view of the required pressure resistance of the membrane.

The composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane contains the crosslinked polymer in which a polymer having a carboxyl group has been crosslinked. The crosslinked polymer preferably has a viscosity of higher than or equal to <NUM> mPa·s and lower than <NUM> mPa·s. As used herein, the viscosity means a value determined by measuring an aqueous <NUM> wt% solution of the crosslinked polymer using a Brookfield viscometer under the conditions of pH <NUM> at a temperature of <NUM> and a rotational speed of <NUM> rpm. When the viscosity is lower than <NUM> mPa·s, the crosslinked polymer has an insufficient pressure resistance, and the resultant separation-functional layer may fail to work properly in the gas separation membrane. On the other hand, when the viscosity is higher than <NUM> mPa·s, it may excessively suppress swelling which is caused by water absorption of the crosslinked polymer, resulting in extreme reduction in water retention. The viscosity of the crosslinked polymer is more preferably higher than or equal to <NUM> mPa·s and lower than <NUM> mPa·s, further preferably higher than or equal to <NUM> mPa·s and lower than <NUM> mPa·s.

Preferably, the polymer having a carboxyl group has a structural unit derived from acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, or a derivative thereof. Examples of the polymer having a carboxyl group include polymers obtained by polymerization of monomers of acrylic acid, itaconic acid, crotonic acid, methacrylic acid or the like. Specific examples of the polymer include a polyacrylic acid, a polyitaconic acid, a polycrotonic acid, a polymethacrylic acid, an acrylic acid-methacrylic acid copolymer, an acrylic acid-methyl methacrylate copolymer, and a methacrylic acid-methyl methacrylate copolymer. Especially, a polyacrylic acid that is a polymer of acrylic acid, a polymethacrylic acid that is a polymer of methacrylic acid, and an acrylic acid-methacrylic acid copolymer obtained by polymerization of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid are preferred, and more preferred is a polyacrylic acid.

The crosslinked polymer used in the present invention may be prepared by a reaction between a polymer having a carboxyl group and a crosslinking agent, or may be prepared by polymerizing a crosslinkable monomer with a monomer having a carboxyl group or an alkyl ester group that can undergo hydrolysis reaction to form a carboxyl group. The carboxyl group included in the crosslinked polymer may be totally or partially substituted with carboxylate through neutralization with a metal ion. The metal ion is preferably an alkali metal cation. With regard to the timing of the neutralization reaction, it is preferred that the neutralization reaction be performed following preparation of the crosslinked polymer. Examples of the monomer having an alkyl ester group include acrylic acid alkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, such as methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, hexyl acrylate, octyl acrylate and lauryl acrylate; itaconic acid alkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, such as methyl itaconate, ethyl itaconate, propyl itaconate, butyl itaconate, hexyl itaconate, octyl itaconate and lauryl itaconate; crotonic acid alkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, such as methyl crotonate, ethyl crotonate, propyl crotonate, butyl crotonate, hexyl crotonate, octyl crotonate and lauryl crotonate; and methacrylic acid alkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, such as methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, hexyl methacrylate, octyl methacrylate and lauryl methacrylate. The crosslinkable monomer and the crosslinking agent used in the present invention may be a conventionally known one without any limitation. Examples of the crosslinkable monomer include divinylbenzene, N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide, trimethylolpropane triallyl ether and pentaerythritol tetraallyl ether. Examples of the crosslinking agent include epoxy crosslinking agents, polyvalent glycidyl ethers, polyhydric alcohols, polyvalent isocyanates, polyvalent aziridines, haloepoxy compounds, polyvalent aldehydes, polyvalent amines, organometallic crosslinking agents, and metallic crosslinking agents. The crosslinkable monomer and the crosslinking agent are preferably ones having resistance to alkalis. Any conventionally known approaches may be employed as a method for crosslinking, including thermal crosslinking, ultraviolet crosslinking, electron beam crosslinking, radiation crosslinking, photocrosslinking, and a method described in <CIT> or <CIT>. While the timing of preparing the crosslinked polymer is not particularly limited, the crosslinked polymer is preferably prepared before being mixed with a CO<NUM> carrier or a non-crosslinked polymer.

The crosslinked polymer used in the present invention may be commercially available one. Examples of the crosslinked polymer of a polyacrylic acid include AQUPEC (registered trademark, manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) and SANFRESH (registered trademark, manufactured by Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd.

The composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane contains the crosslinked polymer in which a polymer having a carboxyl group has been crosslinked, and a non-crosslinked polymer. In comparison with the composition containing only the crosslinked polymer, the composition also containing the non-crosslinked polymer improves the film-forming property of the composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane. The non-crosslinked polymer is obtained by using one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and a derivative thereof as defined in claim <NUM> as a raw material. The non-crosslinked polymer content is preferably <NUM> wt% to <NUM> wt%, more preferably <NUM> wt% to <NUM> wt%, further preferably <NUM> wt% to <NUM> wt% based on the total amount of the crosslinked polymer and the non-crosslinked polymer.

Examples of one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and a derivative thereof used as a raw material to obtain the non-crosslinked polymer include vinyl esters of fatty acids with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, such as vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl butyrate, vinyl caproate, vinyl laurate, vinyl palmitate, vinyl stearate and vinyl versatate; acrylic acid, and acrylic acid alkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, such as methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, hexyl acrylate, octyl acrylate and lauryl acrylate; methacrylic acid, and methacrylic acid alkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, such as methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, hexyl methacrylate, octyl methacrylate and lauryl methacrylate; itaconic acid, and itaconic acid dialkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, such as dimethyl itaconate, diethyl itaconate, dibutyl itaconate, dihexyl itaconate, dioctyl itaconate and dilauryl itaconate; crotonic acid, and crotonic acid alkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, such as methyl crotonate, ethyl crotonate, propyl crotonate, butyl crotonate, hexyl crotonate, octyl crotonate and lauryl crotonate; and others including acrylamide and acrylonitrile.

Examples of the non-crosslinked polymer obtained by polymerization of one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and a derivative thereof include polyvinyl alcohol, a polyacrylic acid, a polyitaconic acid, a polycrotonic acid, polyacrylamide, a polymethacrylic acid, a vinyl alcohol-acrylic acid copolymer, an acrylic acid-methacrylic acid copolymer, an acrylic acid-methyl methacrylate copolymer, a methacrylic acid-methyl methacrylate copolymer, and an acrylic acid-acrylamide copolymer. Of these polymers, a polyacrylic acid, a polymethacrylic acid, an acrylic acid-methacrylic acid copolymer, a vinyl alcohol-acrylic acid copolymer and an acrylic acid-acrylamide copolymer are preferred, and a polyacrylic acid, a polymethacrylic acid and an acrylic acid-methacrylic acid copolymer are more preferred. The non-crosslinked polymer may be prepared by hydrolysis of polymers obtained by polymerization of one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and a derivative thereof.

Preferably, the non-crosslinked polymer obtained by polymerization of one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and a derivative thereof has a structural unit having one or more functional groups selected from the group consisting of a carboxyl group, a hydroxy group and a carbamoyl group. The total content of the structural unit having one or more functional groups selected from the group consisting of a carboxyl group, a hydroxy group and a carbamoyl group included in the non-crosslinked polymer is preferably <NUM> mol% to <NUM> mol%, more preferably <NUM> mol% to <NUM> mol%, even more preferably <NUM> mol% to <NUM> mol% based on the total amount of all structural units included in the non-crosslinked polymer.

The non-crosslinked polymer contained in the composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane has a viscosity of higher than or equal to <NUM> mPa·s and lower than <NUM> mPa·s, and preferably has a lower viscosity than the crosslinked polymer. As used herein, the viscosity means a value determined by measurement under the same conditions as those in the crosslinked polymer. When the viscosity is lower than <NUM> mPa. s, the separation-functional layer may have poor flexibility, and the film-forming property may be deteriorated. On the other hand, when the viscosity is higher than <NUM> mPa·s, it may be difficult to synthesize the non-crosslinked polymer. The viscosity of the non-crosslinked polymer is more preferably higher than or equal to <NUM> mPa·s and lower than <NUM> mPa·s, further preferably higher than or equal to <NUM> mPa-s and lower than <NUM> mPa.

The non-crosslinked polymer used in the present invention may be commercially available one. Examples of the non-crosslinked polymer of polyacrylic acid include AQUPAANA (registered trademark, manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) and AQUALIC (registered trademark, manufactured by NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO.

The composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane contains at least one compound (hereinafter also referred to as a CO<NUM> carrier) selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal bicarbonate, and an alkali metal hydroxide. The CO<NUM> carrier is present in the separation-functional layer containing the above-mentioned crosslinked polymer and non-crosslinked polymer, and may undergo reversible reaction with CO<NUM> that has been dissolved in water in the separation-functional layer, so that the carrier can play a role in selective permeation of CO<NUM>.

The at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal bicarbonate, and an alkali metal hydroxide used in the present invention is preferably a carbonate, bicarbonate or hydroxide of at least one alkali metal selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Rb and Cs.

Examples of the alkali metal carbonate include sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, rubidium carbonate, and cesium carbonate. Examples of the alkali metal bicarbonate include sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, rubidium bicarbonate, and cesium bicarbonate. Examples of the alkali metal hydroxide include sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, rubidium hydroxide, and cesium hydroxide.

The at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal bicarbonate, and an alkali metal hydroxide is preferably an alkali metal carbonate or alkali metal hydroxide that is of a deliquescent nature, more preferably cesium carbonate or cesium hydroxide having a high water solubility.

For the purpose of further improving CO<NUM> permeance, it is preferred that carboxyl groups contained in the crosslinked polymer and non-crosslinked polymer be neutralized by cations of alkali metal included in the CO<NUM> carrier so that the alkali metal carbonate, alkali metal bicarbonate and alkali metal hydroxide added in the composition can function as a CO<NUM> carrier.

The composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane may further contain lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide, in addition to the crosslinked polymer, the non-crosslinked polymer and the carbonate, bicarbonate or hydroxide of at least one alkali metal selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Rb and Cs.

The composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane may further contain a CO<NUM> hydration catalyst, which will be described below.

The composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane may contain, in addition to the alkali metal cations derived from the CO<NUM> carrier, various alkali metal cations such as those used in neutralization of the carboxyl groups contained in the crosslinked and non-crosslinked polymers, those derived from lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide, and those derived from the CO<NUM> hydration catalyst. Preferably, the amount of all the alkali metal cations contained in the composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane is <NUM> mole equivalent to <NUM> mole equivalents based on the total amount of the carboxyl group and carboxylate included in the crosslinked and non-crosslinked polymers. When the amount of the alkali metal cations is less than <NUM> mole equivalent based on the total amount of the carboxyl group and carboxylate, the film-forming property may be impaired. On the other hand, when the amount of the alkali metal cations is more than <NUM> mole equivalents based on the total amount of the carboxyl group and carboxylate, it may fail to provide the desired CO<NUM> permselectivity. The amount of all the alkali metal cations is more preferably <NUM> mole equivalents to <NUM> mole equivalents based on the total amount of the carboxyl group and carboxylate.

The CO<NUM> gas separation membrane has a supporting layer including a porous membrane with high gas permeability that does not have a gas diffusion resistance against a gas component that has permeated through the membrane. When the separation-functional layer made from the composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane is placed in contact with one surface of the supporting layer, the use of the supporting layer including a hydrophobic porous membrane may prevent water in the separation-functional layer from entering the pores of the porous membrane, and suppress reduction in performance of the membrane.

When the separation-functional layer made from the composition for a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane is placed in contact with one surface of the supporting layer including a hydrophobic porous membrane, a surfactant described below may be applied in advance onto the surface of the hydrophobic porous membrane included in the supporting layer to be used, for the purpose of improving the film-forming property.

In the process of the hydrogen or urea production to which the CO<NUM> gas separation membrane formed by the method of the present invention is to be applied, the gas separation membrane may be used at a temperature of higher than or equal to <NUM>. Therefore, it is preferred that the porous membrane or other members included in the gas separation membrane have a heat resistance of higher than or equal to <NUM>.

The term "hydrophobic" means that the water contact angle at <NUM> is greater than or equal to <NUM>°. The "heat resistance of higher than or equal to <NUM>" means that the porous membrane can be kept under a temperature condition of higher than or equal to <NUM> for <NUM> hours or longer in the same form maintained as before being kept under such a condition, without visible curling of the membrane due to heat shrinkage or thermal fusion.

The porous membrane included in the supporting layer may be made from, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene or other polyolefin resins, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl fluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride or other fluorine-containing resins, polyphenylene sulfide, polyether sulfone, polyimide, high molecular weight polyester, heat resistant polyamide, aramid, polycarbonate or other resin materials; or metals, glass, ceramic or other inorganic materials. Among these materials, PTFE, polyvinyl fluoride, polyvinylidene fluoride or other fluorine-containing resins, polyphenylene sulfide, polyether sulfone, polyimide, or ceramic is preferred in terms of water repellency and heat resistance; more preferred is PTFE because it may readily provide micro pore size, and give a high porosity to achieve an increased energy efficiency in gas separation.

The thickness of the porous membrane is not particularly limited. Usually, from the viewpoint of the mechanical strength, the porous membrane preferably has a thickness of <NUM> to <NUM>, more preferably <NUM> to <NUM>, further preferably <NUM> to <NUM>.

While the average size of pores in the porous membrane is not particularly limited, it is preferably smaller than or equal to <NUM>, more preferably <NUM> to <NUM>. The porosity of the porous membrane is preferably <NUM>% to <NUM>%, more preferably <NUM>% to <NUM>%.

Surface treatments to the porous membrane, such as corona treatment and plasma treatment, and pore sizes of the porous membrane may be selected, so that the strength of bond between the separation-functional layer and the porous membrane can be controlled. For example, an increase in the strength of corona treatment tends to improve the strength of bond between the layer and the membrane.

The separation-functional layer included in the CO<NUM> gas separation membrane may contain, in addition to the crosslinked polymer, the non-crosslinked polymer and the CO<NUM> carrier, a CO<NUM> hydration catalyst. Besides the above-mentioned materials included in the separation-functional layer, a surfactant described below may further be added to the coating liquid used for forming the separation-functional layer in the method of the present invention. Various other additives may also be added to the coating liquid. Examples of the additives include antioxidants and fillers.

The CO<NUM> hydration catalyst is a catalyst that increases the rate of reaction in the CO<NUM> hydration reaction represented by the following formula (<NUM>).

CO<NUM> + H<NUM>O ↔ HCO<NUM>- + H+.

An overall reaction equation of a reaction between CO<NUM> and the CO<NUM> carrier may be represented by the following formula (<NUM>), wherein it is assumed that the CO<NUM> carrier is a carbonate. The above-mentioned CO<NUM> hydration reaction that is one of elementary reactions in the reaction of the formula (<NUM>) proceeds at a slow rate under a catalyst-free condition. Thus, the addition of the catalyst accelerates the elementary reaction, thereby accelerating the reaction between CO<NUM> and the CO<NUM> carrier; as a result, the rate of the CO<NUM> permeation is expected to be increased.

CO<NUM> + H<NUM>O + CO<NUM>- ↔ 2HCO<NUM>-.

Therefore, the inclusion of the CO<NUM> carrier and CO<NUM> hydration catalyst in the separation-functional layer accelerates the reaction between CO<NUM> and the CO<NUM> carrier, and results in significantly improved CO<NUM> permeance and CO<NUM> permselectivity. Since the CO<NUM> hydration catalyst can function effectively even under a high partial pressure of CO<NUM>, the CO<NUM> permeance and CO<NUM> permselectivity under a high partial pressure of CO<NUM> may be significantly improved.

As the CO<NUM> hydration catalyst, an oxoacid compound is preferably contained, particularly, an oxoacid compound with at least one element selected from Group <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> elements is preferably incorporated, and it is further preferred that at least one of a tellurious acid compound, a selenious acid compound, an arsenious acid compound and an orthosilicic acid compound be incorporated. More specifically, potassium tellurite (K<NUM>TeO<NUM>, melting point: <NUM>), sodium tellurite (Na<NUM>TeO<NUM>, melting point: <NUM>), lithium tellurite (Li<NUM>O<NUM>Te, melting point: about <NUM>), potassium selenite (K<NUM>O<NUM>Se, melting point: <NUM>), sodium arsenite (NaO<NUM>As, melting point: <NUM>), sodium orthosilicate (Na<NUM>O<NUM>Si, melting point: <NUM>) or the like may be suitably used. Among these, a tellurious acid compound is more preferred, and further preferred is potassium tellurite or sodium tellurite.

When the CO<NUM> hydration catalyst has a melting point of higher than or equal to <NUM>, the catalyst may be present with thermal stability in the separation-functional layer, and therefore it is possible to maintain the performance of the CO<NUM> gas separation membrane for a long period of time. If the CO<NUM> hydration catalyst is soluble in water, the separation-functional layer that contains the CO<NUM> hydration catalyst may be prepared in an easy and stable manner. When a tellurious acid compound, an arsenious acid compound or a selenious acid compound is used as the CO<NUM> hydration catalyst, it can be expected that the membrane would be provided with improved performance in a stable manner because any of these compounds is soluble in water and has a melting point of higher than or equal to <NUM>.

The above-mentioned antioxidant improves the resistance to heat and humidity. Commercially available products of the antioxidant are, for example, dibutylhydroxytoluene (BHT), IRGANOX (registered trademark) <NUM> (manufactured by BASF Japan Inc. ), IRGANOX (registered trademark) 1035FF (manufactured by BASF Japan Inc. ), IRGANOX (registered trademark) <NUM> (manufactured by BASF Japan Inc. ), IRGANOX (registered trademark) L57 (manufactured by BASF Japan Inc. ), IRGANOX (registered trademark) <NUM> (manufactured by BASF Japan Inc. ), and others.

The above-mentioned filler may be of any conventionally known type, and may be of organic or inorganic type, as long as the filler has an affinity to the crosslinked polymer or CO<NUM> carrier and does not inhibit the shape-keeping property of the separation-functional layer under high pressures. One or more of such fillers may be used alone or in combination of two or more. When two or more fillers are combined, a combination of organic fillers or of inorganic fillers may be used, or a mixture of organic and inorganic fillers may be used. While the particle size of the filler is not particularly limited, it is desired that the size be <NUM> to <NUM>, preferably <NUM> to <NUM>, more preferably <NUM> to <NUM> in view of preventing defects from occurring. The particle size of the filler can be measured by a light scattering method. When the filler is added to the composition, the filler content is preferably <NUM>% by mass to <NUM>% by mass based on the amount of the crosslinked polymer.

The method for producing a gas separation membrane of the present invention is described in the following. In the first step, a coating liquid is prepared by dissolving, in a medium, a composition for a CO<NUM> separation membrane containing: at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal bicarbonate, and an alkali metal hydroxide; a crosslinked polymer in which a polymer having a carboxyl group has been crosslinked; and a non-crosslinked polymer obtained by polymerization of one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and a derivative thereof as defined in claim <NUM>.

Examples of the medium include polar protonic media such as water, methanol, ethanol, <NUM>-propanol, <NUM>-propanol or other alcohols; non-polar media such as toluene, xylene and hexane; and polar aprotic media such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone or other ketones, N-methylpyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylacetamide and N,N-dimethylformamide. These media may be used alone or in admixture of two or more thereof as long as they are compatible. Among these, preferred media are those containing at least one selected from the group consisting of water, methanol, ethanol, <NUM>-propanol, <NUM>-propanol and other alcohols. More preferred media are those containing water.

When the coating liquid is applied onto the hydrophobic porous membrane, a surfactant may be added to the medium. When a surfactant is added to the medium and the coating liquid is applied onto the porous membrane of the supporting layer, the surfactant is localized at the interface between the porous membrane and the separation-functional layer; through this localization, hydrophobic moieties of the surfactant are adsorbed to the surface of the porous membrane to form a thin layer at the interface between the separation-functional layer and the porous membrane, thereby preventing pass of the CO<NUM> carrier. This stabilizes the performance of the gas separation membrane. Further, the addition of the surfactant may prevent issue of the CO<NUM> carrier in application of the coating liquid onto the porous membrane, and provide improved wettability for the hydrophobic porous membrane, thereby alleviating irregularity in the film thickness or others. The surfactant used in the invention is not particularly limited, and may be of any conventionally known type. Examples of the surfactant include polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene glycols, polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, fluorochemical surfactants, and silicone surfactants. These surfactants may be used alone or in combination of two or more thereof.

If the coating liquid having no surfactant added thereto is applied onto the hydrophobic porous membrane, the above-mentioned surfactant may be applied onto the surface of the hydrophobic porous membrane in advance.

In the second step, a coating film is formed by applying the prepared coating liquid onto one surface of the porous membrane. The temperature of the coating liquid in the application step can be selected as appropriate in accordance with the composition or concentration of the liquid. If the temperature is excessively high, however, a large amount of the medium may be vaporized from the coating liquid and the composition and concentration of the liquid may be changed, or a scar left by vaporization may persist on the coating film. Therefore, the temperature of the coating liquid is preferably higher than or equal to room temperature and lower than or equal to a temperature <NUM> below the boiling point of the medium to be employed. For example, if water is employed as the medium, it is preferred that the coating liquid be applied onto the porous membrane at a temperature of <NUM> to <NUM>.

The coating liquid can be applied onto the porous membrane by any method that is not particularly limited. Examples of such application method include spin coating, bar coating, die coating, blade coating, air knife coating, gravure coating, roll coating, spray coating, dip coating, comma roll coating, kiss coating, screen printing and inkjet printing. The coating liquid is preferably applied in an amount such that the coating weight (solid weight per unit area) is <NUM>/m<NUM> to <NUM>/m<NUM>, more preferably <NUM>/m<NUM> to <NUM>/m<NUM>, further preferably <NUM>/m<NUM> to <NUM>/m<NUM>. The coating weight can be controlled by regulating the rate of forming a coating film (for example, the rate of conveying a breathable support), the concentration of the coating liquid, the discharge amount of the coating liquid, and others. The coating liquid may be applied in a pattern of stripes or dots.

In the third step, the medium is removed from the formed coating film. The medium can be removed by any method that is not particularly limited. While any conventionally known method may be used to remove the medium, it is preferred to employ such a method that the coating film is dried by forced-air drying with heated air, for example, to remove the medium by evaporation. For example, the coating material applied is conveyed into a forced-air dryer set at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined humidity to remove the medium from the coating film by evaporation. The separation-functional layer is formed by this step.

The drying temperature may be selected as appropriate according to the medium of the coating liquid and the type of the porous membrane. Usually, it is preferred that the drying temperature be higher than the freezing point of the medium and lower than the melting point of the porous membrane. Generally, a suitable temperature is <NUM> to <NUM>.

The medium removal operation is performed until the concentration of the medium in the coating film is decreased to a predetermined concentration or lower. Specifically, it is preferred that the removal operation be performed until the medium content in the separation-functional layer reaches <NUM>% by weight to <NUM>% by weight as obtained in the third step.

The film thickness of the separation-functional layer is selected as appropriate according to the required separation performance. Usually, the film thickness is preferably <NUM> to <NUM>, more preferably <NUM> to <NUM>, especially preferably <NUM> to <NUM>.

The disclosure also generally provides a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module utilizing a gas separation membrane. The CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module may be of any type such as spiral-wound type, tube type, hollow fiber type, pleated type, and plate-and-frame type. <FIG> shows a schematic view with partial cutaway showing a structure of a spiral CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module including the gas separation membrane.

A spiral-wound CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module M shown in <FIG> has a structure in which a laminate <NUM> is plurally wrapped around an outer periphery of a hollow gas-collecting tube <NUM> with a plurality of holes <NUM> formed therein, laminate <NUM> including a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane <NUM>, a feed-side channel member <NUM> and a permeate-side channel member <NUM> in a laminated manner. It is preferred that feed-side channel member <NUM> and permeate-side channel member <NUM> have the capability of accelerating turbulent flow of a gas mixture fed containing CO<NUM> and water vapor and a permeate gas that has permeated through CO<NUM> gas separation membrane <NUM> (surface renewal of the membrane surface) to increase the rate of permeation of CO<NUM> in the fed fluid through the membrane; and the capability of minimizing pressure drop at the feed side. Feed-side channel member <NUM> and permeate-side channel member <NUM> that are of mesh type may be suitably employed because these members preferably have the capability of serving as a spacer and the capability of generating turbulent flow in the gas mixture. The unit cell of the mesh may have a shape selected from, for example, rhombus, parallelogram and others according to the intended use, considering that the flow path of the gas mixture may be changed by the shape of the mesh. While feed-side channel member <NUM> and permeate-side channel member <NUM> may be made from any material that is not particularly limited, it is preferred that a heat-resistant material be employed because the gas separation membrane formed by the method of the present invention will be used under a temperature condition of higher than or equal to <NUM>. The same materials as those of the porous membrane listed above are preferably employed for the feed-side and permeate-side channel members.

In spiral-wound CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module M of the above-mentioned structure, the gas mixture containing CO<NUM> and water vapor is fed through an inlet <NUM> provided in CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module M in the direction of arrow A, and during flowing through feed-side channel member <NUM>, CO<NUM> in the gas mixture permeates through CO<NUM> gas separation membrane <NUM>; and the permeated CO<NUM> is collected in gas-collecting tube <NUM>, and is then recovered through an outlet <NUM> of gas-collecting tube <NUM>. The retentate gas mixture, from which CO<NUM> has been separated, passes through a space of feed-side channel member <NUM>, and is discharged from an outlet <NUM> of CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module M. A sweep gas selected from inert gases or others may be fed to gas-collecting tube <NUM>.

The present invention is further illustrated, but is not to be construed as limited, by the following examples. Any examples falling outside of the scope of the claims are intended for reference purposes only.

A vessel was charged with <NUM> of water, <NUM> of a crosslinked polyacrylic acid ("AQUPEC HV-<NUM>" manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) used as a crosslinked polymer, <NUM> of a polyacrylic acid ("AQUPAANA AP-40F", <NUM>% Na saponification, manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) used as a non-crosslinked polymer and <NUM> of cesium hydroxide monohydrate. This mixture was stirred to carry out a neutralization reaction (neutralization step). After completion of the neutralization reaction, <NUM> of cesium carbonate and <NUM> of a surfactant ("Surflon S-<NUM>" manufactured by AGC Seimi Chemical Co. ) were added to the reaction product and then mixed to prepare coating liquid I (coating liquid preparation step).

The prepared coating liquid I was applied onto the surface of a hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane ("POREFLON HP-<NUM>-<NUM>", membrane thickness: <NUM>, pore size: <NUM>, manufactured by Sumitomo Electric Fine Polymer, Inc. Subsequently, the hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane with the coating liquid applied thereon was dried at a temperature of about <NUM> for about <NUM> minutes to obtain a gas separation membrane having a CO<NUM> separation-functional layer formed on the hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane. The process of applying and drying the coating liquid was further repeated several times to obtain sheet-like gas separation membrane I (membrane forming step). The CO<NUM> separation performance of the obtained gas separation membrane I was evaluated by the following method. The results are shown in Table <NUM>.

Gas separation membrane II was obtained in the same manner as in Example <NUM> except that <NUM> of potassium tellurite, besides the cesium carbonate and surfactant, was added in the coating liquid preparation step of Example <NUM> to prepare coating liquid II. The CO<NUM> separation performance of the obtained gas separation membrane II was evaluated by the following method. The results are shown in Table <NUM>.

Gas separation membrane III was obtained in the same manner as in Example <NUM> except that the amount of cesium carbonate added was increased to <NUM> in the coating liquid preparation step of Example <NUM> to prepare coating liquid III. The CO<NUM> separation performance of the obtained gas separation membrane III was evaluated by the following method. The results are shown in Table <NUM>.

Gas separation membrane IV was obtained in the same manner as in Example <NUM> except that a crosslinked polyacrylic acid available from a different manufacturer ("SANFRESH ST-500MPSA" manufactured by Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd. ) was used instead of the crosslinked polyacrylic acid ("AQUPEC HV-<NUM>" manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ), and the amount of cesium carbonate added was increased to <NUM> in the coating liquid preparation step of Example <NUM> to prepare coating liquid IV. The CO<NUM> separation performance of the obtained gas separation membrane IV was evaluated by the following method. The results are shown in Table <NUM>.

A vessel was charged with <NUM> of water, <NUM> of an aqueous solution containing <NUM> wt% PVA (manufactured by Aldrich, molecular weight: <NUM>, saponification rate: <NUM>%) and <NUM> of an epoxy crosslinking agent ("EX-<NUM>" manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation). A crosslinking reaction was carried out by stirring this mixture at <NUM> for <NUM> minutes to prepare a crosslinked polymer. After completion of the crosslinking reaction, <NUM> of an aqueous solution containing <NUM> wt% cesium carbonate was added dropwise to prepare coating liquid V.

Subsequently, the prepared coating liquid V was used to obtain gas separation membrane V through the same membrane forming step as that of Example <NUM>. The CO<NUM> separation performance of the obtained gas separation membrane V was evaluated by the following method. The results are shown in Table <NUM>.

A vessel was charged with <NUM> of water, <NUM> of a crosslinked polyacrylic acid ("AQUPEC HV-<NUM>" manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) used as a crosslinked polymer and <NUM> of cesium hydroxide monohydrate. This mixture was stirred to carry out a neutralization reaction (neutralization step). After completion of the neutralization reaction, <NUM> of cesium carbonate and <NUM> of a surfactant ("Surflon S-<NUM>" manufactured by AGC Seimi Chemical Co. ) were added to the reaction product and then mixed to prepare coating liquid VI (coating liquid preparation step).

The prepared coating liquid VI was applied onto the surface of a hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane ("POREFLON HP-<NUM>-<NUM>", membrane thickness: <NUM>, pore size: <NUM>, manufactured by Sumitomo Electric Fine Polymer, Inc. Subsequently, the hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane with the coating liquid applied thereon was dried at a temperature of about <NUM> for about <NUM> minutes to obtain a gas separation membrane having a CO<NUM> separation-functional layer formed on the hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane. The process of applying and drying the coating liquid was further repeated several times to obtain sheet-like gas separation membrane VI (membrane forming step). The CO<NUM> separation performance of the obtained gas separation membrane VI was evaluated by the following method. The results are shown in Table <NUM>.

Gas separation membrane VII was obtained in the same manner as in Comparative Example <NUM> except that <NUM> of potassium tellurite, besides the cesium carbonate and surfactant, was added in the coating liquid preparation step of Comparative Example <NUM> to prepare coating liquid VII. The CO<NUM> separation performance of the obtained gas separation membrane VII was evaluated by the following method. The results are shown in Table <NUM>.

A vessel was charged with <NUM> of water, <NUM> of a crosslinked polyacrylic acid ("AQUPEC HV-<NUM>" manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) used as a crosslinked polymer, <NUM> of a polyacrylic acid ("AQUPAANA AP-40F", <NUM>% Na saponification, manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) used as a non-crosslinked polymer and <NUM> of cesium hydroxide monohydrate. This mixture was stirred to carry out a neutralization reaction (neutralization step). After completion of the neutralization reaction, <NUM> of cesium hydroxide monohydrate, <NUM> of potassium tellurite and <NUM> of a surfactant ("Surflon S-<NUM>" manufactured by AGC Seimi Chemical Co. ) were added to the reaction product and then mixed to prepare coating liquid VIII (coating liquid preparation step).

The prepared coating liquid VIII was applied onto the surface of a hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane ("POREFLON HP-<NUM>-<NUM>", membrane thickness: <NUM>, pore size: <NUM>, manufactured by Sumitomo Electric Fine Polymer, Inc. Subsequently, the hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane with the coating liquid applied thereon was dried at a temperature of about <NUM> for about <NUM> minutes to obtain gas separation membrane VIII having a CO<NUM> separation-functional layer formed on the hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane. The process of applying and drying the coating liquid was further repeated several times to obtain sheet-like gas separation membrane VIII (membrane forming step). The film-forming property of the obtained gas separation membrane VIII was evaluated by the following method. The results are shown in Table <NUM>.

Gas separation membrane IX was obtained in the same manner as in Example <NUM> except that the amount of crosslinked polyacrylic acid ("AQUPEC HV-<NUM>" manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) added as a crosslinked polymer was increased to <NUM>, and the amount of polyacrylic acid ("AQUPAANA AP-40F", <NUM>% Na saponification, manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) added as a non-crosslinked polymer was decreased to <NUM> in the coating liquid preparation step of Example <NUM> to prepare coating liquid IX. The film-forming property of the obtained gas separation membrane IX was evaluated by the following method. The results are shown in Table <NUM>.

Gas separation membrane X was obtained in the same manner as in Example <NUM> except that the amount of crosslinked polyacrylic acid ("AQUPEC HV-<NUM>" manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) added as a crosslinked polymer was decreased to <NUM>, and the amount of polyacrylic acid ("AQUPAANA AP-40F", <NUM>% Na saponification, manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) added as a non-crosslinked polymer was increased to <NUM> in the coating liquid preparation step of Example <NUM> to prepare coating liquid X. The film-forming property of the obtained gas separation membrane X was evaluated by the following method. The results are shown in Table <NUM>.

A vessel was charged with <NUM> of water, <NUM> of a crosslinked polyacrylic acid ("AQUPEC HV-<NUM>" manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) used as a crosslinked polymer, <NUM> of a polyacrylic acid ("AQUPAANA AP-40F", <NUM>% Na saponification, manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) used as a non-crosslinked polymer and <NUM> of cesium hydroxide monohydrate. This mixture was stirred to carry out a neutralization reaction (neutralization step). After completion of the neutralization reaction, <NUM> of cesium hydroxide monohydrate, <NUM> of potassium tellurite, and <NUM> of a surfactant ("Surflon S-<NUM>" manufactured by AGC Seimi Chemical Co. ) were added to the reaction product and then mixed to prepare coating liquid XI (coating liquid preparation step).

The prepared coating liquid XI was applied onto the surface of a hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane ("POREFLON HP-<NUM>-<NUM>", membrane thickness: <NUM>, pore size: <NUM>, manufactured by Sumitomo Electric Fine Polymer, Inc. Subsequently, the hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane with the coating liquid applied thereon was dried at a temperature of about <NUM> for about <NUM> minutes to obtain gas separation membrane XI having a CO<NUM> separation-functional layer formed on the hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane. The process of applying and drying the coating liquid was further repeated several times to obtain sheet-like gas separation membrane XI (membrane forming step). The film-forming property of the obtained gas separation membrane XI was evaluated by the following method. The results are shown in Table <NUM>.

A vessel was charged with <NUM> of water, <NUM> of a crosslinked polyacrylic acid ("AQUPEC HV-<NUM>" manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) used as a crosslinked polymer, <NUM> of a polyacrylic acid ("AQUPAANA AP-40F", <NUM>% Na saponification, manufactured by SUMITOMO SEIKA CHEMICALS CO. ) used as a non-crosslinked polymer and <NUM> of cesium hydroxide monohydrate. This mixture was stirred to carry out a neutralization reaction (neutralization step). After completion of the neutralization reaction, <NUM> of cesium carbonate, <NUM> of potassium tellurite, <NUM> of lithium carbonate and <NUM> of a surfactant ("Surflon S-<NUM>" manufactured by AGC Seimi Chemical Co. ) were added to the reaction product and then mixed to prepare coating liquid XII (coating liquid preparation step).

The prepared coating liquid XII was applied onto the surface of a hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane ("POREFLON HP-<NUM>-<NUM>", membrane thickness: <NUM>, pore size: <NUM>, manufactured by Sumitomo Electric Fine Polymer, Inc. Subsequently, the hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane with the coating liquid applied thereon was dried at a temperature of about <NUM> for about <NUM> minutes to obtain gas separation membrane XII having a CO<NUM> separation-functional layer formed on the hydrophobic PTFE porous membrane. The process of applying and drying the coating liquid was further repeated several times to obtain sheet-like gas separation membrane XII (membrane forming step).

The resultant gas separation membrane XII and gas separation membrane II obtained in Example <NUM> were evaluated for durability of CO<NUM> separation performance by the following method. The results are shown in Table <NUM>.

Evaluation of N<NUM> gas permeability was conducted using a CO<NUM> gas separation apparatus including a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. Specifically, gas separation membranes I and VI prepared in Example <NUM> and Comparative Example <NUM>, respectively, were cut into pieces of appropriate size to form flat membranes, and each of these membranes was fixed between a feed side <NUM> and a permeation side <NUM> of stainless-steel CO<NUM> separation membrane module <NUM>.

N<NUM> gas at room temperature was fed to feed side <NUM> of CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM>, and then the pressure on feed side <NUM> was increased to <NUM> kPaA. The pressure on permeate side <NUM> was controlled at atmospheric pressure. N<NUM> permeance was calculated based on temporal change in the pressure on feed side <NUM>. Each ten samples of the gas separation membrane of Example <NUM> and those of Comparative Example <NUM> were evaluated for their film-forming property, and the samples were graded as acceptable when N<NUM> permeance (mol/m<NUM>s kPa) was lower than or equal to <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> mol/m<NUM>s kPa. The results are shown in Table <NUM>.

CO<NUM> separation was performed using a CO<NUM> gas separation apparatus including CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. Specifically, gas separation membranes I to VII prepared in Examples <NUM> to <NUM> and Comparative Examples <NUM> to <NUM>, respectively, were cut into pieces of appropriate size to form flat membranes, and each of these membranes was fixed between feed side <NUM> and permeation side <NUM> of stainless-steel CO<NUM> separation membrane module <NUM>.

A raw gas (CO<NUM>: <NUM>%, N<NUM>: <NUM>%, H<NUM>O: <NUM>%) was fed to feed side <NUM> of CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM> at a flow rate of <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> mol/min, and a sweep gas (Ar: <NUM>%, H<NUM>O: <NUM>%) was fed to permeate side <NUM> of CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM> at a flow rate of <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> mol/min. It should be noted that the gas blend ratios and the flow rates were adjusted by introducing water via fluid-forwarding metering pumps <NUM> and <NUM>, followed by heating and evaporating the water, to give the H<NUM>O ratios and flow rates as mentioned above. The pressure on feed side <NUM> was controlled at <NUM> kPaA by a back-pressure controller <NUM> provided on the downstream side of a cold trap <NUM> located about midway in a discharge passage for discharging retentate gas. In addition, a back-pressure controller <NUM> was provided between a cold trap <NUM> and a gas chromatograph <NUM>, and was used to control the pressure on permeate side <NUM> at atmospheric pressure. The flow rate of gas after removal of water vapor by cold trap <NUM> from the sweep gas discharged through permeate side <NUM> was quantified based on results of analysis with gas chromatograph <NUM> to calculate CO<NUM> permeance and N<NUM> permeance (mol/m<NUM>s kPa) regarding CO<NUM> and N<NUM> contained in the permeate gas. The obtained permeance ratio was used to evaluate selectivity.

It should be noted that CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM> and pipes for feeding raw gas and sweep gas to the CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module were disposed in a thermostatic chamber (not shown) set at a predetermined temperature in order to maintain CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM> and these gases at constant temperature. This evaluation of CO<NUM> separation performance was conducted under conditions that the temperature of CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM> and those of raw and sweep gases were maintained at <NUM>.

Evaluation of N<NUM> gas permeability was conducted using a CO<NUM> gas separation apparatus including CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. Specifically, gas separation membranes I, VIII, IX, X, XI and VI prepared in Examples <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM> and Comparative Example <NUM>, respectively, were cut into pieces of appropriate size to form flat membranes, and each of these membranes was fixed between feed side <NUM> and permeate side <NUM> of stainless-steel CO<NUM> separation membrane module <NUM>.

N<NUM> gas at room temperature was fed to feed side <NUM> of CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM>, and then the pressure on feed side <NUM> was increased to <NUM> kPaA. The pressure on permeate side <NUM> was controlled at atmospheric pressure. N<NUM> permeance was calculated based on temporal change in the pressure on feed side <NUM>. Each ten samples of the above-mentioned gas separation membranes were evaluated for their film-forming property, and the samples were graded as acceptable when N<NUM> permeance (mol/m<NUM>s kPa) was lower than or equal to <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> mol/m<NUM>s kPa. The results are shown in Table <NUM>.

CO<NUM> separation was performed using a CO<NUM> gas separation apparatus including CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. Specifically, gas separation membranes II and XII prepared in Examples <NUM> and <NUM>, respectively, were cut into pieces of appropriate size to form flat membranes, and each of these membranes was fixed between feed side <NUM> and permeate side <NUM> of stainless-steel CO<NUM> separation membrane module <NUM>.

A raw gas (CO<NUM>: <NUM>%, N<NUM>: <NUM>%, H<NUM>O: <NUM>%) was fed to feed side <NUM> of CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM> at a flow rate of <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> mol/min, and a sweep gas (Ar: <NUM>%, H<NUM>O: <NUM>%) was fed to permeate side <NUM> of CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM> at a flow rate of <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> mol/min. It should be noted that the gas blend ratios and the flow rates were adjusted by introducing water via fluid-forwarding metering pumps <NUM> and <NUM>, followed by heating and evaporating the water, to give the H<NUM>O ratios and flow rates as mentioned above. The pressure on feed side <NUM> was controlled at <NUM> kPaA by back-pressure controller <NUM> provided on the downstream side of cold trap <NUM> located about midway in a discharge passage for discharging retentate gas. In addition, back-pressure controller <NUM> was provided between cold trap <NUM> and gas chromatograph <NUM>, and was used to control the pressure on permeate side <NUM> at atmospheric pressure. The flow rate of gas after removal of water vapor by cold trap <NUM> from the sweep gas discharged through permeate side <NUM> was quantified based on results of analysis with gas chromatograph <NUM> to calculate CO<NUM> permeance and N<NUM> permeance (mol/m<NUM>s kPa) regarding CO<NUM> and N<NUM> contained in the permeate gas. The obtained permeance ratio was used to evaluate selectivity. The percentages of the CO<NUM> permeance and CO<NUM> selectivity <NUM> hours after initiation of CO<NUM> separation (rates of endurance) were calculated, with those <NUM> hours after initiation of CO<NUM> separation being <NUM>%.

It should be noted that CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM> and pipes for feeding raw gas and sweep gas to the CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module were disposed in a thermostatic chamber set at a predetermined temperature in order to maintain CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM> and these gases at constant temperature. This evaluation of durability of CO<NUM> separation performance was conducted under conditions that the temperature of CO<NUM> gas separation membrane module <NUM> and those of raw and sweep gases were maintained at <NUM>.

It was shown that, when the separation-functional layer contained lithium carbonate, there was a tendency for the membrane to exhibit an improved rate of endurance in the CO<NUM> permeance and CO<NUM> permselectivity after a lapse of <NUM> hours.

Claim 1:
A method for producing a CO<NUM> gas separation membrane, comprising the steps of:
preparing a coating liquid by dissolving, in a medium, a composition for a CO<NUM> separation membrane comprising: at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal bicarbonate, and an alkali metal hydroxide; a crosslinked polymer in which a polymer having a carboxyl group has been crosslinked; and a non-crosslinked polymer obtainable by polymerization of one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, vinyl esters of fatty acids with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, acrylic acid alkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, methacrylic acid alkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, itaconic acid, itaconic acid dialkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, crotonic acid, crotonic acid alkyl esters having an alkyl group with <NUM> to <NUM> carbon atoms, acrylamide and acrylonitrile;
wherein the non-crosslinked polymer content is 2wt% to 90wt% based on the total amount of the crosslinked polymer and non-crosslinked polymer;
forming a coating film by applying the prepared coating liquid onto a supporting layer including a porous membrane; and
forming a separation-functional layer by removing the medium from the formed coating film.