{"title":"Highly selective alginate/CuO mixed matrix membranes for efficient dehydration pervaporation of various organic solvents","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.seppur.2024.129865","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pervaporation is an energy-efficient technique for dehydrating organic solvents from aqueous mixtures. To develop a highly selective pervaporation membrane with broad usage, we incorporated three types of CuO particles (solid CuO-S, sea urchin-like CuO-U, and porous CuO-P) into sodium alginate (Alg) for fabricating the Alg/CuO mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). The CuO syntheses and membrane preparation are simple and eco-friendly. The synthesized particles and membranes were systematically characterized. The improved hydrophilic feature of Alg/CuO MMMs was validated from the reduced water contact angle and higher water swelling ratio with increasing CuO wt%. When the Alg/CuO MMMs were applied to the pervaporation of 30 wt% water/isopropanol (IPA) at 25 ℃, both the permeation flux and separation factor were enhanced significantly compared to the pure Alg membrane. The separation efficiency followed the order of Alg/CuO-S MMMs < Alg/CuO-U MMMs < Alg/CuO-P MMMs, in good agreement with their water swelling tendency. The incorporation of 3 wt% porous CuO-P particles in MMM achieved the optimal dehydration efficacy (normalized total flux of 3.5 kg m<sup>-2</sup>h<sup>−1</sup>, separation factor of ca. 5000, and water purity of 99.96 wt%, with a stable performance over 168 h). A further larger loading wt% led to a decreased separation selectivity due to more void formation from particle aggregation. With an increase in feed temperature, both the permeation flux and separation factor were improved; however, the increase in feed water concentration deteriorated the separation selectivity while enhancing the flux. Furthermore, the high selectivity and broad applicability of Alg/3% CuO-P MMM were fruitfully demonstrated by exhibiting superior separation efficiencies in dehydrating various polar aprotic solvents compared with several membranes discussed in the literature.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":427,"journal":{"name":"Separation and Purification Technology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":8.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Separation and Purification Technology","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1383586624036049","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Pervaporation is an energy-efficient technique for dehydrating organic solvents from aqueous mixtures. To develop a highly selective pervaporation membrane with broad usage, we incorporated three types of CuO particles (solid CuO-S, sea urchin-like CuO-U, and porous CuO-P) into sodium alginate (Alg) for fabricating the Alg/CuO mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). The CuO syntheses and membrane preparation are simple and eco-friendly. The synthesized particles and membranes were systematically characterized. The improved hydrophilic feature of Alg/CuO MMMs was validated from the reduced water contact angle and higher water swelling ratio with increasing CuO wt%. When the Alg/CuO MMMs were applied to the pervaporation of 30 wt% water/isopropanol (IPA) at 25 ℃, both the permeation flux and separation factor were enhanced significantly compared to the pure Alg membrane. The separation efficiency followed the order of Alg/CuO-S MMMs < Alg/CuO-U MMMs < Alg/CuO-P MMMs, in good agreement with their water swelling tendency. The incorporation of 3 wt% porous CuO-P particles in MMM achieved the optimal dehydration efficacy (normalized total flux of 3.5 kg m-2h−1, separation factor of ca. 5000, and water purity of 99.96 wt%, with a stable performance over 168 h). A further larger loading wt% led to a decreased separation selectivity due to more void formation from particle aggregation. With an increase in feed temperature, both the permeation flux and separation factor were improved; however, the increase in feed water concentration deteriorated the separation selectivity while enhancing the flux. Furthermore, the high selectivity and broad applicability of Alg/3% CuO-P MMM were fruitfully demonstrated by exhibiting superior separation efficiencies in dehydrating various polar aprotic solvents compared with several membranes discussed in the literature.
期刊介绍:
Separation and Purification Technology is a premier journal committed to sharing innovative methods for separation and purification in chemical and environmental engineering, encompassing both homogeneous solutions and heterogeneous mixtures. Our scope includes the separation and/or purification of liquids, vapors, and gases, as well as carbon capture and separation techniques. However, it's important to note that methods solely intended for analytical purposes are not within the scope of the journal. Additionally, disciplines such as soil science, polymer science, and metallurgy fall outside the purview of Separation and Purification Technology. Join us in advancing the field of separation and purification methods for sustainable solutions in chemical and environmental engineering.