Pervaporation Separation of Toluene from Aqueous Solutions Using Nano-Based PEBA/NaX Mixed Matrix Membrane

Abstract

In the present study, pure polyether-block-amide (PEBA) membranes with different thickness (25, 50 and 75 μm) and PEBA/2 wt.% NaX mixed matrix membrane (MMM) were developed for the separation of toluene from aqueous solution via the pervaporation process. The NaX nanozeolites were synthesized using the convectional hydrothermal method. The fabricated membranes were characterized using SEM and AFM analysis. The PEBA/2 wt.% NaX MMM showed the better performance in separation factor of toluene compared with PEBA membranes during the pervaporation process The maximum pervaporation separation index was obtained in 0.01 mg/L toluene using fabricated membranes. The obtained results demonstrated the PEBA/NaX MMM could be a potential candidate for separation of volatile organic compounds from aqueous solutions. The obtained results demonstrated that the incorporation of NaX nanozeolites into the PEBA membrane is an effective method for improving the separation efficiency of volatile organic compounds from aqueous solutions.