New (polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/graphene oxide (GO))/poly valerolactone (PVL) pervaporation composite membrane: preparation, characterization and ethylene dichloride/water separation evaluation

Authors

• Samira Safaei Nasab ¹
• Ali Arasteh nodeh ¹
• Susan Khosroyar * ¹
• Mahmod Reza Khadangi Mahrod ¹
• Vahid Hakimzadeh ²

1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Quchan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Quchan, Iran
2. Department of Food Science and technology, Quchan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Quchan, Iran

Abstract

In this research, a novel type of pervaporation membrane was developed by (polydimethylsiloxane
(PDMS)/Graphene oxide (GO))/poly valerolactone (PVL) composite membrane. This prepared
membrane was used to separate ethylene dichloride from water. The electrospinning method was
used to nanofiber PVL preparation as a support layer for the composite membrane.To increase
the selectivity of the optimized PVL nanofiber membrane and increase the affinity with ethylene
dichloride; the membrane was coated with a dense PDMS/GO layer.The membranes were characterized
by SEM, FTIR, contact angle and swelling measurements. Also the membrane performance
in ethylene dichloride separation and its separation factors versus temperature (30-70◦C) was evaluated.
Results show that with increasing temperature up to 70◦C, the total flux and the separation
factor of (PDMS/GO)/PVL simultaneously increase from about 113 to 191 g/(m2.h) and from 3.4
to 11.65, respectively.

Keywords

• Selectivity
• Electrospinning
• Poly valerolactone
• Polydimethylsiloxane