Effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and integrated MWCNTs/SiO2 nano-additives on PVDF polymeric membranes for vacuum membrane distillation

摘要

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) was blended with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and MWCNTs/SiO2 nano-additives to fabricate nanocomposite vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) membranes for desalination. The effects of MWCNTs and MWCNTs/SiO2 integrated additives on the morphology and performance of the PVDF membrane were studied. When only MWCNTs were used, 2 wt% loading of MWCNTs to PVDF had the maximum effect on the improvement of VMD flux, due primarily to the enlargement and elongation of the finger-like pores.