Poly(vinyl alcohol)-Modified Membranes by Ti3C2Tx for Ethanol Dehydration via Pervaporation

In this paper, PVA/Ti3C2Tx mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were prepared by mixing the synthesized Ti3C2Tx with the PVA matrix, and the pervaporation (PV) performance of the ethanol-water binary system was tested. The morphology, structural properties, and surface characteristics of the membranes were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, degree of swelling, and water contact angle. The PVA/Ti3C2Tx MMMs exhibit excellent compatibility and swelling resistance. Moreover the effects of the Ti3C2Tx filling level, feed concentration, and operating temperature on the ethanol dehydration performance were systematically studied. The results demonstrated that the separation factor of PVA/Ti3C2Tx MMMs was significantly increased because of Ti3C2Tx promoting the cross-linking density of the membrane. Specifically, the membrane showed the best PV performance when Ti3C2Tx loading was 3.0 wt %, achieving a separation factor of 2585 and a suitable total flux of 0.074 kg/m(2) h for separating 93 wt % ethanol solution at 37 degrees C.