Non-Supported and PET-Supported Chitosan Membranes for Pervaporation: Production, Characterization, and Performance

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Membrane Technology

Background:

• Chitosan membranes are promising for separation but often lack mechanical robustness.
• Glutaraldehyde cross-linking enhances chitosan properties.
• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) supports can improve membrane performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize non-supported and PET-supported chitosan membranes cross-linked with glutaraldehyde.
• To evaluate their performance in hydrophilic (ethanol/water) and target-organophilic (limonene/linalool) pervaporation.
• To assess the impact of a PET support layer on membrane properties and separation efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of non-supported and PET-supported chitosan membranes cross-linked with glutaraldehyde.
• Comprehensive physical-chemical, morphological, and mechanical property characterization.
• Pervaporation experiments for ethanol/water and limonene/linalool mixtures.

Main Results:

• PET support significantly enhanced mechanical properties (Young's modulus, tensile strength, elongation at break).
• No permeate was achieved in target-organophilic pervaporation for either membrane type.
• Hydrophilic pervaporation showed reduced transmembrane flux and increased selectivity for the supported membrane.
• Overall pervaporation separation index was similar for both membrane types.

Conclusions:

• PET-supported chitosan membranes offer superior mechanical resistance.
• The support layer impacts hydrophilic pervaporation, enhancing selectivity but reducing flux.
• Both membrane types exhibit comparable overall pervaporation performance, with applicability depending on specific application requirements for resistance, flux, and selectivity.