Preparation of polyphenylsulfone/graphene nanocomposite membrane for the pervaporation separation of cumene from water

Abstract

Polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) was applied for the first time in the hydrophobic PV process. Nanocomposite membranes of PPSU/graphene (Gr) nanosheets were prepared and used to separate isopropyl benzene (cumene) from water via pervaporation (PV).Analysis of the mechanical properties of the membranes showed that the tensile strength and Young's modulus had an increasing trend with the incorporation of Gr into PPSU. The water contact angle of the membranes had a rising trend with the addition of Gr, confirming the improved hydrophobicity of membranes. In the PV experiments, the membrane containing 3.5 wt% Gr provided the highest separation factor, which was 4.5-fold as much as that of the neat PPSU membrane. Cumene separation from water by the PPSU/3.5 wt% Gr membrane was associated with the total flux of 132.73 gMH, the separation factor of 1566.36, and the PSI of 208,124.8 gMH.

Hybrid membranes of polyphenylsulfone/functionalized MXene nanosheets for the pervaporation dehydration of acetone and isopropyl alcohol

“…The interaction of polymer and nanofiller limited the mobility of polymer chains [46] which then reduced the penetration of the solution into the membrane. [38] As shown in Figure 4, membrane swelling in IPA/water was higher than in AC/water. The difference in the swelling of the neat PPSU membrane in two solutions can be explained as follows: The sulfone group of PPSU is capable of hydrogen bonding as an acceptor.…”

“…The interaction of polymer and nanofiller limited the mobility of polymer chains [ 46 ] which then reduced the penetration of the solution into the membrane. [ 38 ]…”

“…Weighting was continued for several days until reaching a constant value ( m s , g). The following equation was used to calculate the degree of swelling (DS) [ 38 ] : …”

Effect of Nanofillers on Properties and Pervaporation Performance of Nanocomposite Membranes: A Review

“…It is important to realize that separation of liquid mixtures by PV is based on membrane affinity to the minor component in terms of its hydrophilic, hydrophobic, or organophilic nature [12,20]. Moreover, it should be noted that the membrane is the key element to achieve success in the PV process since its material determines separation performance [3,5,16,[21][22][23]. Generally, an ideal PV membrane should possess a thin top layer skin (without any defects) and excellent sorption capacity for the desired solute, low swelling to maintain selectivity and structural stability, good mechanical strength, chemical, and thermal stability, high permeability without compromising selectivity, and economic viability [6,16].…”