Development of zeolite 5A-incorporated polyvinyl alcohol membrane for desalination by pervaporation

Abstract

With the rapid depletion of potable and useable water resources globally due to population growth and the effects of global warming, the desalination of seawater – the world’s largest source of water – to acceptable quality levels is critical to meeting future water needs. This study investigates the use of zeolite 5A-incorporated polyvinyl alcohol membranes to produce fresh water from seawater for industrial and domestic use and evaluates the application of the pervaporation process on the separation performance. Polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl alcohol/zeolite 5A mixed matrix membranes were prepared by solution-casting technique, and their morphological, structural, and mechanical properties were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and tensile strength tests. The swelling behavior and pervaporation performance of the membranes were investigated at different temperatures (30, 45, and 60 °C) using synthetic seawater containing 35 g L−1 NaCl, and membrane–solvent interactions were determined using data from sorption experiments. The membrane produced water flux and salt rejection values at 60 °C of 5.82 kg m−2 h−1 and >99.9 %, respectively.