Liquid- liquid (Cyclohexanone: Cyclohexanol) separation using augmented tight nanofiltration membrane: A sustainable...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) is crucial for separating organic liquid mixtures.
• Current methods often result in incomplete separations and environmental pollution from effluents.
• Efficient separation of industrial mixtures like cyclohexanone:cyclohexanol and heptane:toluene is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop advanced composite membranes for effective organic liquid-liquid separation.
• To address the environmental concerns associated with incomplete separation processes.
• To investigate the performance of novel Cu2O@g-C3N4 incorporated PVDF membranes.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) composite membranes incorporating Lewis acid modified graphitic carbon nitride (Cu2O@g-C3N4).
• Testing membrane performance for separating cyclohexanone:cyclohexanol and heptane:toluene mixtures.
• Analysis of membrane properties including pore size, polarity, solvent uptake, and porosity.

Main Results:

• The fabricated membranes achieved a separation factor of 18.16 for cyclohexanone:cyclohexanol.
• A separation factor of 9.9 was obtained for the heptane:toluene mixture.
• Cu2O@g-C3N4 modification influenced membrane properties, enhancing selectivity and productivity.

Conclusions:

• The developed Cu2O@g-C3N4/PVDF composite membranes show high efficiency in OSN.
• These membranes offer a promising solution for separating challenging organic liquid mixtures.
• The technology has potential for broad applications in liquid-liquid separations, minimizing environmental impact.