ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Preparation of solvent-resistant composite polyimide nanofiltration membranes by vacuum-assisted interfacial polymerization combined with a magnetic field array of carbon nanotubes

Wenzhong Ma, Xinlei Dai, Jing Zhong, Chenchen Ding, Xiangyuan Song, Ziang Wei, Xinmiao Zhang, Fanning Meng, and Hideto Matsuyama

School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China

E-mail: wenzhong-ma@cczu.edu.cn

Received: 6 March 2023  Accepted: 12 October 2023

Abstract:

Solvent-resistant nanofiltration (SRNF) membranes have excellent applications in wastewater treatment, such as organic solvent recovery and water purification. However, the high performance with high solvent permeability passing through the membrane is still a big challenge. We prepared polyimide (PI) SRNF membranes with highly efficient oriented nanochannels via vacuum-assisted interfacial polymerization and magnetic field arraying magnetized functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). This prepared composite membrane got a molecular weight cutoff of around 600–800 Da, significantly improving the permeability but no change in rejection performance. When MWCNTs were magnetically oriented, the permeability raised from 7.8 to 15.9 L/m⁻² h⁻¹ bar⁻¹, which was 103% higher than that of the non-arrayed composited membrane. The stability test illustrated that the permeability rose slightly, but the rejection rate of the CaSO₄ solution was kept at 92–94% after being immersed in polar organic solvents for 48 h. This work aimed to design an innovative method for preparing a high-performance SRNF membrane that introduced an arranged nanochannel.

Keywords: SRNF membrane; Multi-wall carbon nanotubes; Polyimide membrane; Oriented nanochannels

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-023-03166-8

Chemical Papers 78 (2) 1291–1302 (2024)