Cellulose Nanofiber Nanocomposite Pervaporation Membranes for Ethanol Recovery

In spite of the growing interest to exploit nanocellulose in membranes for water purification, reverse osmosis, packaging, and other applications, examples nanocellulose-containing pervaporation are rather limited. We here report preparation dense nanocomposite consisting a polystyrene-block-polybutadiene-block-polystyrene (SBS) matrix high-aspect-ratio cellulose nanofibers (CNFs). The were produced by solvent casting evaporation process, CNF concentration was systematically varied. At highest (15 wt %), 5-fold increase Young’s modulus (271 MPa) 10-fold yield strength (18 observed, while elongation at break (37%) remained appreciable, suggesting that CNFs form reinforcing network SBS matrix. same time, permeability sorption doubled increased ten times (at relative humidity = 100%). Pervaporation experiments carried out with 10 % ethanol/water mixture 40 °C. A 3-fold mass fluxes observed content 15 %, which accompanied 40% decrease separation factor. This resulted an index from 66.5 g m–2 h–1 (neat SBS) 89.4 nanocomposite), indicating more than compensates reduced efficiency.