High flux composite PTMSP-silica nanohybrid membranes for the pervaporation of ethanol/water mixtures

✍ Scribed by S. Claes; P. Vandezande; S. Mullens; R. Leysen; K. De Sitter; A. Andersson; F.H.J. Maurer; H. Van den Rul; R. Peeters; M.K. Van Bael

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 823 KB
• Volume: 351
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0376-7388
• DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2010.01.043

✦ Synopsis

Silica-filled poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) (PTMSP) layers were successfully applied for the first time on top of ultrafiltration support membranes and applied in the pervaporative separation of ethanol/water mixtures. Reduction of the thickness of the separating PTMSP top layer and addition of hydrophobic silica particles resulted in a clear flux increase as compared to dense PTMSP membranes. With ethanol/water separation factors up to 12 and fluxes up to 3.5 kg m -2 h -1 , the prepared supported PTMSP-silica nanohybrid membranes performed significantly better than the best commercially available organophilic pervaporation membranes. Characterization of a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) support membrane revealed a more open, irregular and hydrophobic surface structure for the former membrane, thus explaining the higher fluxes of the PTMSP/PVDF composite membrane. Because of their promising flux-selectivity combination, the prepared membranes exhibit great potential in the removal of alcohols from aqueous mixtures.