High-Performance Cross-Linked Benzimidazole-and-Imine-Linked Polymer Membranes for Methanol/Methyl tert-Butyl Ether...

Area of Science:

• Polymer Science
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Polymer membranes are crucial for separation technologies but suffer performance loss due to organic solvent swelling.
• Developing robust polymer membranes for organic separations remains a significant challenge in materials science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize novel cross-linked benzimidazole-and-imine-linked polymer (BIILP) membranes.
• To evaluate the separation performance and stability of BIILP membranes in organic mixtures.

Main Methods:

• Interfacial polymerization was employed to synthesize BIILP membranes.
• Post-treatment methods were utilized to enhance membrane properties.
• Pervaporation (PV) tests were conducted using a methanol/methyl tert-butyl ether mixture.

Main Results:

• The BIILP membrane achieved a total flux of 2.80 kg·m⁻²·h⁻¹.
• An exceptionally high separation factor of 4.80 × 10⁴ was recorded for methanol/methyl tert-butyl ether separation.
• The membrane demonstrated excellent stability, with minimal performance reduction after 120 hours of PV testing.

Conclusions:

• The developed BIILP membranes exhibit high separation performance and stability, addressing limitations of conventional polymer membranes.
• These membranes show significant potential for scalable production and industrial application in organic separation systems.
• BIILP membranes represent a promising advancement in membrane science and technology for challenging organic separations.