Abstract

Omid Sabzevari, Azam Marjani^*, Amirmohammad Daripour

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/ojc/310260

In this study, nano silica was successfully incorporated into the polyamide solution to prepare polyamide/nano silica mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). The prepared MMMs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The prepared MMMs were used to separate mixtures of Ethylene glycols/water at 25 C in the pervaporation (PV) process. The different nano silica loadings in polyamide polymer, such as 0.5, 1 and 2 wt%, have been tried and nano silica with 0.5 wt% loading shows the best PV performance. As a result, the 0.5 wt% nano silica in polyamide membrane leads to increases in permeation, but, decrease in the separation factor. Separation factor decreases significantly at higher loadings of nano silica due to the agglomeration of nano-particles in the polyamide matrix.

Mix matrix membrane; Nano-silica, Polyamides; ethylene glycol; Separation

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