Abstract
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/CNT composite membranes were prepared without adding cross-linkers; herein, carboxylated CNTs served as alternative cross-linkers. A molecular simulation confirmed the cross-linking capability between CNTs and PVA chains, which led to the prediction that the cross-linked PVA/CNT complex would be stable in water. To realize the simulated outcome, the multiwalled CNTs were activated and functionalized via sonication methods and subsequent acid treatment. The PVA/CNT composite membranes, including the CNTs treated by probe sonication, exhibited sufficient stability against dissolution in water at 80 °C when the CNT loading reached 1.5 wt %, thus substantiating the proposed idea. The composite membranes exhibited a high separation performance for green recycling of 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) during manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Long-term operations using membranes with 1.5 wt % CNTs also exhibited a steady combination of total flux and water/NMP selectivity of approximately 0.06 kg/m2·h and 3500, respectively. Thus, the membranes developed here and the corresponding NMP dehydration performance could contribute to increasing the sustainability of the LIB manufacturing industry.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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 callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
