Polyvinyl Butyral/Modified SiO2 Nanoparticle Membrane for Gasoline Desulfurization by Pervaporation

Pervaporation (PV) has many potential advantages in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) gasoline desulfurization. The PV membrane performance was improved by incorporating SiO 2 nanoparticles in polyvinyl butyral (PVB). The coupling agent was used to enhance the compatibility between the inorganic phase and the organic phase to avoid the occurrence of film defects. Polyurethane membranes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. To evaluate the PV performance, the real FCC gasoline was tested. The effects of the SiO 2 content, the operating temperature, and the active layer thickness on the PV performance of the PVB/SiO 2 membranes were investigated.