Fabrication, Properties, Performances, and Separation Application of Polymeric Pervaporation Membranes: A Review

Abstract

Membrane separation technologies have attracted great attentions in chemical engineering, food science, analytical science, and environmental science. Compared to traditional membrane separation techniques like reverse osmosis (RO), ultrafiltration (UF), electrodialysis (ED) and others, pervaporation (PV)-based membrane separation shows not only mutual advantages such as small floor area, simplicity, and flexibility, but also unique characteristics including low cost as well as high energy and separation efficiency. Recently, different polymer, ceramic and composite membranes have shown promising separation applications through the PV-based techniques. To show the importance of PV for membrane separation applications, we present recent advances in the fabrication, properties and performances of polymeric membranes for PV separation of various chemicals in petrochemical, desalination, medicine, food, environmental protection, and other industrial fields. To promote the easy understanding of readers, the preparation methods and the PV separation mechanisms of various polymer membranes are introduced and discussed in detail. This work will be helpful for developing novel functional polymer-based membranes and facile techniques to promote the applications of PV techniques in different fields.

Keywords: environmental science; hybrid materials; pervaporation; polymeric membrane; separation techniques.

Figure 1

Preparation process of two kinds of lotus polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite membranes. Reproduced with permission from Reference [12]. Copyright 2020, Elsevier.

Figure 2

Schematic diagram of (a) PA/PAN composite hollow fiber membrane fabrication frame, (b) profile of the triple orifice spinneret, and (c) PA layer formation. Reproduced with permission from Reference [17]. Copyright 2018, Elsevier. PA, polyamide; PAN, polyacrylonitrile.

Figure 3

Schematic diagram of pervaporation (PV) of DCMs. Picture of various DCMs Reproduced with permission from Reference [20]. Copyright 2020, Elsevier.

Figure 4

Schematic diagram showing the procedure to prepare thin film composite membrane two plies of polydopamine (PD), one ply of PA and two plies of PD formed on the substrate sequentially ([PD]₂–[PA]–[PD]₂) by PD deposition and interfacial polymerization (IP). Reproduced with permission from Reference [22]. Copyright 2015, Elsevier.

Figure 5

(a) Schematic diagram of melamine modified STA and PVA /PVAm blend film. Reproduced with permission from Reference [26]. Copyright 2018, Elsevier. (b) Schematic diagram of PFTs grafted powder/ film. Reproduced with permission from Reference [27]. Copyright 2020, Elsevier. (c) Schematic diagram of PI membrane crosslinking BTCH. Reproduced with permission from Reference [28]. Copyright 2017, Elsevier.

Figure 6

Classification of PV membranes.

Figure 7

Flow pattern of (a) parallel flow and (b) counterflow of the hollow fiber membrane module. Reproduced with permission from Reference [34]. Copyright 2017, Elsevier.

Figure 8

Equipment flow chart of the PV process. Reproduced with permission from Reference [56]. Copyright 2019, Elsevier.

Figure 9

Schematic diagram of the dissolution diffusion model process. Reproduced with permission from Reference [62]. Copyright 2016, Elsevier.

Figure 10

Operation mode of PV process: (a) vacuum PV; (b) thermal PV; (c) carrier gas purging PV; (d) condensable carrier gas purging PV.

Figure 11

Scheme of ethanol mass transfer considering concentration polarization during PV. Reproduced with permission from Reference [76]. Copyright 2019, Elsevier.

Figure 12

MDS of PV process of PVA/ tetraethyl orthosilicates (TEOS) membrane. Reproduced with permission from Reference [80]. Copyright 2018, Elsevier.

Figure 13

Schematic illustration of the preparation process of Ni₂(L-asp)₂bipy and Ni₂(L-asp)₂bipy@PDMS membranes and water/ethanol separation on them. Reproduced with permission from Reference [97]. Copyright 2017, Elsevier.

Figure 14

(a) Effects of specific graphene oxide (GO) deposition amount on the PV performance of GO/PAN membranes and (b) schematic representation of the mechanism for water molecule transport through GO sheets. Reproduced with permission from Reference [75]. Copyright 2015, the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Figure 15

AFM images of (a) the pure PVB membrane, (b) the PVB membrane with 2 wt % SiO₂, and (c) the PVB membrane with 2.5 wt % SiO₂. Reproduced with permission from Reference [112]. Copyright 2019, the Wiley Online Library.

Figure 16

(a) Possible chemical reactions between NHGO particles and 6FDA–Durene-DABA and possible chemical evolution during thermal treatment at 400 °C. (b) Dissolution results of PI and various mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) in DMF after 48 h. Reproduced with permission from Reference [67]. Copyright 2017, the Elsevier.

Figure 17

Techniques used for the aroma recovery from food products. Reproduced with permission from Reference [56]. Copyright 2019, the Elsevier.

Figure 18

Schematic diagram for acetone, butanol and ethanol (ABE) fermentation coupled with the hybrid gas stripping-PV process. The inset shows butanol permeation assisted by CNTs through the membrane. Reproduced with permission from Reference [118]. Copyright 2016, the Wiley Online Library.