Pervaporation properties of aromatic/nonaromatic hydrocarbons of crosslinked membranes of copolymers based on diethyl vinylbenzylphosphonate

Abstract

Copoly(diethyl vinylbenzylphosphonate/hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [copoly(VBP–HEMA)] and copoly(diethyl vinylbenzylphosphonate/vinylbenzyl chloride) [copoly(VBP–VBC)] were prepared and their membranes crosslinked by a reaction of ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether and ethylene diamine with, respectively, hydroxyl and methylene chloride groups in their side chains. Pervaporation (PV) and sorption of benzene–n-hexane (Bz–Hx), benzene–cyclohexane (Bz–Cx), and toluene–n-octane (Tol–n-Ot) mixtures were investigated. The membranes were in a rubbery state and preferentially permeable to aromatics. They had higher specific permeation flux and a lower PV separation factor compared with the crosslinked membranes of methacrylate copolymers with analogous pendant groups. They displayed better PV performance for Tol–n-Ot. Sorption isotherms of Bz–Hx mixtures were represented by the Flory–Rehner model. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 87: 2177–2185, 2003