ZIF-8 Filled Polydimethylsiloxane Membranes for Pervaporative Separation of n -Butanol from Aqueous Solution.

ZIF-8-filled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes, PDMS/ZIF-8, were prepared by a two-step polymerization process and were used to recovern-butanol from an aqueous solution by pervaporation (PV). Compared with pure PDMS membrane, PDMS/ZIF-8 membranes demonstrated an obviously highern-butanol permselectivity. As an increase of ZIF-8 content,n-butanol/water selectivity increased initially and then decreased, while then-butanol and water permeability decreased monotonously. PDMS/ZIF-8 membrane containing 2 wt% ZIF-8, that is, PDMS/ZIF-8-2 showed the highest selectivity. On the other hand, selectivity and permeability forn-butanol and water of PDMS/ZIF-8-2 membrane decreased with the increase of operating temperature. The selectivity and permeability forn-butanol reached 7.1 and 3.28 × 105barrer, respectively, at 30°C when the feed concentration ofn-butanol was 0.96 wt%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]