Structural Design of P(BMA‐ co ‐VTES)/TEOS Hybrid Membranes for Removal of Benzene from Water by Pervaporation

Summary: The pervaporation performance of optimized poly(butylmetacrylate‐ co ‐vinyltriethoxysilane)/tetraethoxysilane (P(BMA‐ co ‐VTES)/TEOS) hybrid membranes for the removal of benzene from water was investigated. P(BMA‐ co ‐VTES)/TEOS hybrid membranes prepared by the sol–gel reaction were modified by annealing and trimethylsilylation to enhance the performance of these membranes. The annealing and trimethylmethoxysilane (TMS)‐modifications of P(BMA‐ co ‐VTES)/TEOS hybrid membranes gave more hydrophobic membranes compared with untreated P(BMA‐ co ‐VTES)/TEOS hybrid membranes and, consequently, the amount of benzene sorbed in the modified P(BMA‐ co ‐VTES)/TEOS hybrid membranes increased significantly. When an aqueous solution of dilute benzene was permeated by pervaporation through the annealed and TMS‐modified P(BMA‐ co ‐VTES)/TEOS hybrid membranes, the annealing treatment enhanced the benzene/water selectivity significantly. This result was attributed to a decrease in residual silanol groups in the annealed hybrid membranes and the formation of an optimum cross‐linked structure of the annealed P(BMA‐ co ‐VTES)/TEOS hybrid membranes.Benzene concentration in the permeate for an aqueous solution of benzene through untreated (○) and annealed (•) P(BMA‐ co ‐VTES)/TEOS hybrid membranes during PV.