Modified PDMS membranes for the extraction of polar organic compounds from aqueous solutions

摘要

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) has long been known as one of the most permeable dense phase membranes; as such it has been widely used in separation processes such as pervaporation, to selectively remove organic pollutants from aqueous solutions, and also in gas separations. More recently it has been used in the Extractive membrane Bioreactor (EMB) (1). This is a new process which uses a silicone rubber membrane to extract trace quantities of toxic organic compounds, such as toluene and chlorobenzene, from industrial successfully. This work investigates the modification of poly(siloxanes) in order to create a new membrane for use in the EMB, capable of extracting more polar compounds such as phenol and aniline, which are common organic pllutants.