Abstract
Chitosan (CS) and microporous titanosilicate ETS-10/CS mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were prepared. The pervaporation performance was tested on the water-ethanol mixtures in the range 85–96 wt.% ethanol. The permeate flux increased from 0.45 to 0.55 kg m−2 h−1 at 50°C for the ETS-10/CS MMM with respect to the pure CS membranes. Characterization by SEM and TEM, XRD, DSC, and TGA allowed inferring an intimate contact between the dispersed ETS-10 and the continuous chitosan phase. The 5 wt.% loading of titanosilicate scarcely decreased the hydrophilic character of the mixed matrix membrane but increased the molecular sieving effect on the transport and separation properties, thus affecting the membrane behavior on pervaporation.
Highlights
Separation processes have always been of special importance in the chemical industry
The dispersion of the 5 wt. % ETS-10 within the polymer in a matrix membranes (MMMs) is shown in the cross-sectional SEM micrographs of Figures 4(b,c)
A similar effect was observed when chitosan membranes were chemically cross-linked with trimesoyl chloride (TMC) [10], organosilanes [29] or inorganic fillers [12]; in those cases, it was attributed to the insertion of the cross-linker increasing the fractional free volume among the polymer chains available for water transport
Summary
Separation processes have always been of special importance in the chemical industry. Membranes can be classified as inorganic [4], polymeric [5] and, more recently, mixed matrix membranes (MMMs), where the combination of organic and inorganic materials has been proved an attractive way of merging and enhancing the properties of both phases, for pervaporation. Chitosan has long been studied as membrane material for dehydration by pervaporation process [7, 8] due to its high affinity towards water, good film forming properties and the presence of functional groups that can be modified. This work studies the preparation of CS and ETS-10/CS mixed matrix membranes and its behavior in the dehydration of ethanol by pervaporation. 10 mL of CS solution, prepared as has been indicated above, were added and degassed in the ultrasound bath for other 15 min until a homogenous white dispersion was obtained and cast as described above. Thicknesses were measured using a Micrometer (Mitutoyo Corp. with an accuracy of 0.001 mm)
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