Poly(vinyl alcohol)/ZIF-8-NH2 mixed matrix membranes for ethanol dehydration via pervaporation

Ethanediamine-modified zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF)-8 particles (ZIF-8-NH 2 ) is synthesized and incorporated in the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) matrix to fabricate novel PVA/ZIF-8-NH 2 mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) for pervaporation dehydration of ethanol. The PVA/ZIF-8-NH 2 MMMs exhibit enhanced membrane homogeneity and separation performance because of the higher hydrophilicity and restricted agglomeration of the particles, as compared to corresponding MMMs loaded with unmodified particles. The effect of ZIF-8-NH 2 loading in the MMMs is studied and the MMM with a 7.5 wt % ZIF-8-NH 2 loading shows the best pervaporation performance for ethanol dehydration at 40°C. Various characterization techniques (Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscope, contact angle, sorption test, etc.) are used to investigate the MMMs loaded with ZIF-8 and ZIF-8-NH 2 particles. The impact of operation conditions on pervaporation performance is also performed. The performance benchmarking shows that the MMMs have superior separation factors and comparable flux to most other PVA hybrid membranes. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J , 62: 1728–1739, 2016