A new technique for preparation of PDMS pervaporation membrane for VOC removal

To improve the low flux and low selectivity in composite membranes for the removal of volatile organic components (VOC), a new composite membrane, which adopted polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a top layer and non-woven fabric treated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution as a support layer, was developed. The preparation variables and the performance of the new membrane were investigated through a permeation test with toluene as a representative VOC. Intrusion thickness, which has a greater effect on membrane performance than the top layer thickness does, decreased when the concentration of PDMS and PEG increased, so that the permeation flux increased. The toluene flux of the new membrane with PEG-treated non-woven fabric showed a maximum increase of 37.4% over a composite membrane with polysulfone (PSf) and a 41.4% increase over that with non-woven fabric.