Separation of organic solvent from dilute aqueous solutions and from organic solvent mixtures through crosslinked acrylate copolymer membranes by pervaporation

The composite membranes of acrylate polymers and porous substrate were prepared. The separation of the organic solvent-water mixtures and the organic solvent-organic solvent mixtures through these membranes by pervaporation was investigated. The acrylate copolymer membrane showed the organic solvent permselectivity for the separation of the organic solvent-water mixture, especially for the chlorinated hydrocarbon-water mixture separation. The high organic solvent permselectivity should be governed by solubility selectivity. The influence of the ester residue of acrylate on the phenol-water mixture separation was observed. The copolymerization of the macromonomers containing the polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), and polydimethylsiloxane chain had a small effect on the separation of the chlorinated hydrocarbon-water mixture. High flux and low selectivity of organic solvent were observed in the case of the organic solvent mixture separation through the n-butylacrylate membrane. The difference of permeability of organic solvent was observed for the acrylate copolymer which has Various structures of ester residue. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc..J Appl Polym Sci 69: 1483-1494, 1998.