Preparation of poly(butylene succinate)/polyvinylpyrrolidone blend membrane for pervaporation dehydration of acetone

Abstract

In this research, polybutylene succinate (PBS) was utilized in the fabrication of pervaporation (PV) membranes, and novel PBS/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) blend membranes were prepared and assessed for the dehydration of acetone. The influence of PVP concentration on membrane morphology, chemical structure, relative hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, and mechanical properties was studied through field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, measurement of water contact angle, and tensile test, respectively. In addition, the thermal properties of the PBS and PBS/PVP membranes were compared via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Finally, membrane swelling was determined, and the performance of the resultant PBS/PVP membranes in dehydration of acetone/water mixture was compared via the determination of acetone and water fluxes, total flux, separation factor, and pervaporation separation index (PSI). The obtained results confirmed the increased hydrophilicity, swelling, and tensile strength of the PBS/PVP blend membranes compared to that of the neat PBS one. Moreover, blending PBS with PVP increased the total flux, separation factor, and PSI of the resultant membranes. Using 3 wt.% PVP in the polymeric solution augmented the mentioned parameters by about 3, 6, and 21 fold, respectively, compared to those of the pure PBS membrane.