DEVELOPMENT OF EPOXY NANOFILTRATION MEMBRANES INTO SMART MATERIALS FOR CHEMICAL SEPARATIONS

Abstract

In a one-pot step polymerization, epoxy nanofiltration membrane were made utilising a diamine and a diepoxide. These membranes were stable in organic solvents and were utilised for dichloromethane chemical partings. In chemical partings, the epoxy membrane exhibited high selectivities of above 100:1. The membrane's selectivity was improved by adding a triepoxide to the polymerization process to enhance cross-link density. For specific chemical partings, optimization of the membrane improved selectivity up to 250:1. Epoxy membrane are also the first stimulus-responsive membrane that rely on a disulfide-bond mechanism. When exposed to a chemical stimulu, the labile disulfide bond is broken, cleaving the cross-links inside the membrane and increasing pore size. Before and after a chemical stimulation, the flow and selectivity of substances across the membrane were regulated. The membrane were used to generate three-purity enhanced fractions from a three-component mixture in a multicomponent chemical separation. The purity of compounds increased from 33% to 82 percent, with retrieval yield reaching 88 percent.