A novel carbon black/polydimethylsiloxane composite membrane with high flux for the separation of ethanol from water by pervaporation

Abstract

A novel inorganic/organic composite membrane was prepared through introducing carbon black into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane. Carbon black was treated with various measures, including extraction, methylolation, and high-temperature calcinations in order to tailor the nature of the surface. The effects of surface treatment, carbon black loading, particle size, and temperature on the pervaporation performance in the extraction of ethanol from ethanol/water mixtures were explored. In certain ranges of composition, the flux was remarkably increased without reducing the selectivity. © 2006 The Society of Polymer Science.