Preparation and characterization of poly(ether sulfone)/fluorinated silica organic–inorganic composite membrane for sulfur dioxide desulfurization

Abstract

The highly hydrophobic poly(ether sulfone)/fluorinated silica (PES/fSiO2) organic–inorganic composite membrane for sulfur dioxide (SO2) desulfurization was prepared by incorporating the fSiO2 particles on the PES membrane via sol–gel process and fluorination. The formation of PES/fSiO2 organic–inorganic composite membrane was examined by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and water contact angle. The experimental results showed that the fSiO2 inorganic layer was tightly bonded to the PES membrane surface through silane chemical reactions. The incorporation of the fSiO2 inorganic layer on the PES membrane surface increases the surface roughness and reduces the surface free energy because of the hydrophobic dodecafluoroheptyl-propyl-trimethoxysilane. The hydrophobicity of the PES/fSiO2 composite membrane was dramatically enhanced from 78.0° of PES membrane to 128.2° of PES/fSiO2 membrane. Compared with PES membrane, the desulfurization performance of PES/fSiO2 membrane was investigated. PES/fSiO2 organic–inorganic composite membrane indicated a reasonably stable SO2 absorption flux of 7.69E-4 mol/m2 s during the 240-min-long time operation.

RETRACTED: Efficient Solvent-Resistant Nanofiltration Membranes via a Semi-Interpenetrating Polymer Network Based on Poly(ether sulfone)/Nitrogen-Rich Polymer

“…This phase is marked by degradation of the primary structural component of the membrane, leading to a further reduction in its structural integrity. The increase in the degradation temperature with the amount of cross-linking agent suggests a direct relationship between the two, indicating that the cross-linking agent enhances the thermal stability of the membrane. − …”