Role of Membrane Technology in Biorefineries - Dehydration of Deep Eutectic Solvent by Pervaporation

Authors

1 Research Unit of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, University of Oulu, Finland

2 Research Unit of Sustainable Chemistry, University of Oulu, Finland

3 Optoelectronics and Measurement Techniques Laboratory, University of Oulu, Finland

4 Research Unit of Fiber and Particle Engineering, University of Oulu, Finland

Abstract

In this paper, the dehydration and purification of a deep eutectic solvent choline chloride-urea (ChCl-urea) by pervaporation is presented. The stability of polymeric pervaporation membranes was first studied by exposing the membranes to ChCl-urea for 5 days at 40 °C and 60 °C. The results showed that the membranes were stable when in contact with ChCl-urea and no membrane material was dissolved. In the dehydration experiments, the permeate fluxes were highest with the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane: 267.65 g m-2 h-1 at 50 °C and 413.39 g m-2 h-1 at 60 °C. Raman spectroscopy was employed in the analysis of the samples. The results also showed the decomposition of ChCl-urea, and the presence of the decomposition products, i.e., ammonia and carbamate, in the PDMS and PDMS-PVA-TiO2 permeates. With the highest permeate fluxes and simultaneous removal of water and decomposition products, PDMS appeared to be the most promising membrane for the purification and dehydration of ChCl-urea.

Graphical Abstract

Role of Membrane Technology in Biorefineries - Dehydration of Deep Eutectic Solvent by Pervaporation

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Volume 8, Issue 2
Special Issue: Women in Membrane Science and Research
April 2022
  • Receive Date: 30 December 2021
  • Revise Date: 10 February 2022
  • Accept Date: 06 March 2022