Modification of polyethersulfone membrane using MWCNT-NH2 nanoparticles and its application in the separation of azeotropic solutions by means of pervaporation.

In this study, functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-NH2) were synthesized as an additive for the preparation of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) and then were investigated by FTIR and FE-SEM techniques. Polyether sulfone (PES) polymeric membrane modified with functionalized MWCNT-NH2 carbon nanotubes was prepared by phase inversion method. The effect of MWCNT-NH2 on the morphology and property of the PES membrane was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy. The flux, enrichment factor and swelling properties of modified membranes were also used to investigate the membranes performance. The results showed that the flux and enrichment factor in modified PES membrane containing 5 wt.% of functionalized MWCNT-NH2 carbon nanotubes were obtained 1.2 L.m-2h-1 and 3.3, respectively. The influence of methanol concentration on the flux and enrichment factor was investigated. The results corroborated that the flux didn't change significantly, while the enrichment factor was decreased.