Cellulose triacetate/LUDOX‐SiO₂ nanocomposite for synthesis of pervaporation desalination membranes

Abstract

A series of cellulose triacetate/Ludox-silica nancomposite pervaporation membranes was successfully prepared via solution casting, aiming to improve the performance of cellulose triacetate membranes for desalination. The fabricated nanocomposite membranes were characterized to study the membrane morphology, chemical composition, mechanical properties, and surface hydrophilicity. Furthermore, the desalination performance was investigated as a function of silica (SiO 2) loading (ranging from 1 to 4 wt%) and feed concentration at 30 and 60 g/L of sodium chloride (NaCl). Pervaporation experiments showed that incorporating 4 wt% SiO 2 into a cellulose triacetate (CTA) membrane increased the water flux by a factor 2.5 compared with pristine CTA (from 2.2 to 6.1 kg m −2 h −1) for a 30 g/L NaCl feed solution at 70 C, while the salt rejection remained above 99%. The CTA/4 wt% SiO 2 membrane was found to have only 21% flux reduction when tested with a 60 g/L NaCl feed solution, without changes in membrane selectivity. This suggests that the developed CTA/Ludox-SiO 2 nanocomposite pervaporation membrane is suitable for desalination.

Chiral separation of D,L‐phenylglycine by cellulose triacetate membranes

“…Meanwhile, membrane separation with its low energy consumption, ease of operation, and continuous separation is considered the most favorable chiral separation technique. [32][33][34][35] CTA membranes are extensively utilized in diverse applications, including desalination, [36][37][38][39] wastewater treatment, [40][41][42] and gas separation, 43,44 owing to their straightforward fabrication, high durability and stability. The six-membered ring of the CTA backbone contains chiral carbons, thus potentially enabling CTA to facilitate chiral recognition.…”

“…CTA membranes are extensively utilized in diverse applications, including desalination, 36–39 wastewater treatment, 40–42 and gas separation, 43,44 owing to their straightforward fabrication, high durability and stability. The six‐membered ring of the CTA backbone contains chiral carbons, thus potentially enabling CTA to facilitate chiral recognition 27 .…”

A Comparative Analysis of Pervaporation and Membrane Distillation Techniques for Desalination Utilising the Sweeping Air Methodology with Novel and Economical Pervaporation Membranes

“…Nevertheless, the research conducted on the use of this technique in water desalination is scarce, as shown by a restricted number of papers [5,[11][12][13][14][15]. The membranes used in prior research on PV brine and seawater desalination included a PVA-based functional layer [16][17][18], a GO-based functional layer [19][20][21], an organic silica/silicate-based functional layer [22], cellulose membranes [23][24][25][26], and others [27][28][29]. The temperature of the feed was a critical parameter as it resulted in an increase in diffusivity and a decrease in viscosity when heated.…”

Charge Regulated Diffusion of Silica Nanoparticles into Wood for Flame Retardant Transparent Wood

“…[31][32][33][34][35][36] Cellulose and its derivatives have also been used in combination with silica particles for aerogels, desalination membranes, membranes for oil water separation, films for passive radiative cooling, filters for cigarette smoke, thermal insulation etc. [37][38][39][40][41][42][43] A straightforward process to facilitate infiltration and achieve homogenous distribution of silica into cellulose can enhance the processibility and scalability for fabrication of these functional materials.…”