Novel MWCNT-buckypaper/polyvinyl alcohol asymmetric membrane for dehydration of etherification reaction mixture: Fabrication, characterisation and application

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• 作者：Kian Fei Yee ; Yit Thai Ong ; Abdul Rahman Mohamed ; Soon Huat Tan
• 关键词：Multi-walled carbon nanotubes ; Buckypaper ; Etherification ; Pervaporation
• 刊名：Journal of Membrane Science
• 出版年：1 March, 2014
• 年：2014
• 卷：453
• 期：Complete
• 页码：546-555
• 全文大小：1516 K

文摘

In this study, asymmetric membranes were prepared by first forming multi-walled carbon nanotube-buckypaper (MWCNT-BP) structures and later coating the structures with a thin layer of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to form novel MWCNT-BP/PVA asymmetric membranes. The resultant asymmetric membranes were used for the dehydration of a multi-component reaction mixture obtained from etherification through pervaporation. The asymmetric membranes exhibited improved mechanical properties relative to those of a pure PVA membrane. When the purified MWCNT-BP/PVA asymmetric membranes were applied in pervaporation, they exhibited significant two- and four-fold enhancements of the permeation flux and separation factor, respectively, compared to those of a pure PVA membrane. This effect was observed due to the hydrophilic group on the oxidised MWCNTs and the nanochannels of the pre-selective layer, which favour the permeation of water molecules.