PNNL

Abstract

Polyethersulfone (PES)-supported graphene oxide (GO) membrane has been developed by a simple casting approach. This stable membrane is applied for ethanol/water separation at different temperatures. The 5.0 µm thick GO film coated on PES membrane showed a long-term stability over a testing period of one month and excellent water/ethanol selectivity at elevated temperatures. The water/ethanol selectivity is dependent on the ethanol weight percentage in the water/ethanol feed mixtures and the operating temperature. The water/ethanol selectivity was enhanced with an increase of ethanol weight percentage in water/ethanol mixtures and from below 100 at RT to close to 874 at 90 ºC for 90% ethanol/10% water mixture. Molecular simulations of water-ethanol mixtures in graphene bilayers that are considered to play a key role in transport revealed that molecular transport is negligible for layer spacing below 1 nm. The differences in the diffusion of ethanol and water in the bilayer are not consistent with the large selectivity value experimentally observed. The entry of water and ethanol into the interlayer space may be the crucial step controlling the selectivity.