Abstract
In this paper, we report the enrichment of 1,4-dioxane from aqueous solution by low temperature sweep gas membrane distillation (SGMD) on nanocarbon immobilized membranes. Carbon nanotube (CNT), reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and their derivatives were immobilized over commercial polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane, and their separation performances were investigated. The surface modification resulted in higher 1,4-dioxane flux and enhanced enrichment factor. The SGMD operation showed excellent separation at lower temperatures due to relatively higher vapor pressure of 1, 4-dioxane compared to water. Among the various membranes, CNT immobilized membrane (CNIM) showed the best performance followed by rGO immobilized membrane (rGOIM) and carboxylated functionalized carbon nanotube membranes (CNIM-f). At 60 °C the CNIM membrane showed 50% increase in enrichment factor and 25% increase in 1,4-dioxane flux compared to the control PTFE membrane. The performance enhancement can be attributed to the faster and preferential sorption–desorption over the nanocarbon surfaces.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
