Removal of hazardous volatile organic compounds from water by vacuum pervaporation with hydrophobic ceramic membranes

Hydrophobic alumina and Litania micro and mesoporous ceramic membranes were prepared by grafting of C6F13C2H4Si(OEt)(3) (C6) molecules and subsequently applied in a pervaporation (PV) process to the removal of hazardous organic solvents (MTBE, EtAc and BOOR) from binary aqueous solutions. The transport and separation properties of investigated membranes were discussed. Additionally it was found that membrane material and grafting time have an important impact of the pervaporative properties, All tested membranes were selective toward organics. Titania membrane was the most efficient and was characterized by the highest value of PSI and the highest value of permeate flux of organic compounds in water-EtAc (J(EtAc)=1.1 kg h(-1) m(-2); PSIEtAc=140 kg h(-1) m(-2)) and water-MTBE (J(MTBE)= 1.0 kg h(-1) m(-2); PSIMTBE= 194 kg h(-1) m(-2)) systems. This behavior of titania membrane was also discussed based on the Hansen solubility parameters. In presented work the evaluation of MTBE removal degree with titania modified membrane from water binary mixture in the pervaporation process was discussed. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved,