Preparation of new C8H4F13-polydimethylsiloxane membranes via a 'cross-linking' reaction using trichloro(perfluoro-octyl)silanes: Effect of cross-linker amount

C8H4F13-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes prepared by cross-linking PDMS with 5-50 wt.% trichloro(perfluoro-octyl)silane were investigated. The membrane with 17 wt.% cross-linker showed excellent ethanol/water separation factor of 18 with average flux of 180 g m(-2) h(-1), while the membrane with 5 wt.% cross-linker exhibited maximum flux of 190 g m(-2) h(-1) and the separation factor of 16 at 345K. The activation energy of ethanol permeation and water permeation was found in the ranges of 29 and 25 kJ/mole, respectively, suggesting that this membrane is the most selective for bioethanol recovery than other reported PDMS membranes.