Pervaporation characteristics of cross-linked poly(dimethylsiloxane) membranes for removal of various volatile organic compounds from water

The permeation and separation characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as chloroform, benzene, and toluene, from water by pervaporation through cross-linked poly(dimethylsiloxane) membranes prepared from poly(dimethylsiloxane) dimethylmethacrylate macromonomer (PDMSDMMA) and divinyl compounds, such as ethylene glycol dimethylmethacrylate (EGDM), divinyl benzene (DVB), divinyl siloxane (DVS), and divinyl perfluoro-n-hexane (DVF) are described. When aqueous solutions containing 0.05 wt.% VOCs were permeated through cross-linked PDMSDMMA membranes, these membranes showed high VOC/water selectivity and permeability. Both VOC/water selectivity and permeability were affected significantly by the divinyl compound. Furthermore cross-linked PDMSDMMA membranes showed the highest chloroform/water selectivity. The VOC/water selectivity was mainly governed by the sorption selectivity rather than the diffusion selectivity. However, the difference in the selectivity between different types of VOCs depended on differences in the diffusivity of permeants. With increasing downstream pressure, the VOC/water selectivity of all cross-linked PDMSDMMA membranes increased, but the permeability decreased. A PDMSDMMA–DVF membrane exhibited a normalized permeation rate of 1.9 × 10^?5 kg m/m² h and a separation factor for chloroform/water of 4850, yielding a separation index of 9110. The pervaporation characteristics of the cross-linked PDMSDMMA membranes are discussed based on their chemical and physical structures as well as the chemical and physical properties of the permeants.