Abstract
Novel organic–inorganic hybrid membranes of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/γ-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APTEOS) were prepared through a sol–gel approach in this study. The PVA/APTEOS hybrid membranes were characterized by a wide angle X-ray diffractometer (WXRD), scanning electronic microscope (SEM), themogravimetric analysis (TGA) and a contact angle meter to elucidate the effect of annealing temperature and time on the structure of the hybrid membranes. The swelling of the annealed hybrid membranes in an aqueous ethanol solution was investigated, and permeation performance of the annealed hybrid membranes was studied by pervaporation (PV) of 85 wt% ethanol aqueous solution. With annealing temperature or time increasing, both the swelling degree and the permeation flux of the hybrid membranes decreased, while water permselectivity increased. The interaction parameter of water with the membrane χ 13, and ethanol with the membrane χ 23 increased with annealing temperature and time increasing. The relation of the free volume with the permeation properties of the annealed hybrid membranes was studied by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). And the diffusion behavior of water and ethanol in an aqueous ethanol solution through the hybrid membranes was analyzed by Maxwell–Stefan equation.
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