Polyurethane membrane with a cyclodextrin-modified carbon nanotube for pervaporation of phenol/water mixture

Abstract

Abstract Polyurethane (PU) membrane has great potential in pervaporation recovery of phenol from water. In order to improve the permeability of the membrane, cyclodextrin was attached onto carboxylic and hydroxylate carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by physical and chemical methods, with which modified CNTs/PU membranes were prepared. The results showed that the addition of modified CNTs greatly increases the permeability and comprehensive performance of PU membranes in the pervaporation separation of a phenol/water mixture. With 0.5% phenol content in feed at 80°C, the flux and pervaporation separation index of blank PU are 6.10 and 324 kg·μm·m−2·h−1, while those of chemically modified carboxylic CNTs/PU membranes are 156.1 and 655.8 kg·μm·m−2·h−1, respectively.