Cellulose Blended Membranes for High-Salinity Water Pervaporation Desalination

Abstract

In the current study, cellulose acetate (CA)/cellulose triacetate (CTA) nanocomposite membranes blended with zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) are prepared via phase inversion for pervaporation desalination performance. ZrO2 nanoparticles are added to enhance the hydrophilicity and porosity of the nanocomposite membranes. The fabricated nanocomposite membranes are characterized by SEM, FTIR, TGA, and DSC to study the surface morphology, chemical composition, thermal stability and strength. Nanocomposite membranes’ performance for pervaporation desalination is assessed as a function of feed concentration. Pervaporation results revealed that the nanocomposite membrane consisting of 2% ZrO2 achieved a maximum water flux of 6.5 kg/m2h, whereas the salt rejection was about 99.8%.