Polysulfone Hollow Fiber Mixed Matrix Membrane Contactor Incorporating Fluorinated Silicon Carbide Nanoparticles for CO2 Absorption

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are a major driver of global climate change, creating an urgent need for efficient carbon capture technologies. Gas–liquid membrane contactors (GLMCs) offer high interfacial area and operational flexibility, but membrane pore wetting can limit their long-term performance. In this study, fluorinated silicon carbide (F-SiC) nanoparticles were incorporated into polysulfone (PSf) hollow fiber membranes to improve hydrophobicity, wetting resistance, and CO2 absorption performance. Mixed-matrix membranes containing 0, 2, 4, and 6 wt.% F-SiC were fabricated by wet phase inversion. CO2 absorption was evaluated using distilled water and 1 M NaOH as absorbents. F-SiC incorporation increased the water contact angle from 77.5° to 107.0° and the critical entry pressure of water (CEPw) from 4.0 to 10.0 bar. The membrane containing 4 wt.% F-SiC (S4) showed the highest CO2 absorption fluxes of 7.6 × 10−4 and 1.59 × 10−3 mol m−2 s−1 using distilled water and 1 M NaOH, respectively. Long-term stability tests showed that the onset of flux decline was delayed from 35 h for the pristine membrane to 125 h for S4, while the flux loss after 145 h was reduced from 44.44% to 12.25%, demonstrating excellent resistance to pore wetting. These results highlight the potential of F-SiC-modified PSf hollow fiber membranes for efficient and durable CO2 capture in GLMC applications.