Preparation, Characterization and Performance of Templated Silica Membranes in Non-Osmotic Desalination
Materials 2011, 4, 845-856; doi:10.3390/ma4040845
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Article
ISSN 1996-1944 www.mdpi.com/journal/materials
materials
Preparation, Characterization and Performance of Templated Silica Membranes in Non-Osmotic Desalination
Bradley P. Ladewig 1,2,3, Ying Han Tan 4, Chun Xiang C. Lin 4, Katharina Ladewig 2,3, João C. Diniz da Costa4 and Simon Smart 4,*
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Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia; E-Mail: bradley.ladewig@eng.monash.edu.au ARC Centre for Excellence in Functional Nanomaterials, The University of Queensland, Cooper Rd, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; E-Mail: kladewig@unimelb.edu.au AIBN—Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanomaterials, The University of Queensland, Cooper Rd, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia Films and Inorganic Membrane Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Cooper Rd, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; E-Mails: s4112833@student.uq.edu.au (Y.H.T.); cynthia.lin@uq.edu.au (C.X.C.L.); j.dacosta@uq.edu.au (J.C.D.C.)
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: s.smart@uq.edu.au; Tel.: +61-7-3365-8835; Fax: +61-7-3365-4199. Received: 8 April 2011; in revised form: 18 April 2011 / Accepted: 28 April 2011 / Published: 29 April 2011
Abstract: In this work we investigate the potential of a polyethylene glycol-polypropylene glycol-polyethylene glycol, tri-block copolymer as a template for a hybrid carbon/silica membrane for use in the non-osmotic desalination of seawater. Silica samples were loaded with varying amounts of tri-block copolymer and calcined in a vacuum to carbonize the template and trap it within the silica matrix. The resultant xerogels were analyzed with FTIR, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and N2 sorption techniques, wherein it was determined that template loadings of 10 and 20% produced silica networks with enhanced pore volumes and appropriately sized pores for
OPEN ACCESS
Article
ISSN 1996-1944 www.mdpi.com/journal/materials
materials
Preparation, Characterization and Performance of Templated Silica Membranes in Non-Osmotic Desalination
Bradley P. Ladewig 1,2,3, Ying Han Tan 4, Chun Xiang C. Lin 4, Katharina Ladewig 2,3, João C. Diniz da Costa4 and Simon Smart 4,*
1
2
3
4
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia; E-Mail: bradley.ladewig@eng.monash.edu.au ARC Centre for Excellence in Functional Nanomaterials, The University of Queensland, Cooper Rd, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; E-Mail: kladewig@unimelb.edu.au AIBN—Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanomaterials, The University of Queensland, Cooper Rd, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia Films and Inorganic Membrane Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Cooper Rd, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; E-Mails: s4112833@student.uq.edu.au (Y.H.T.); cynthia.lin@uq.edu.au (C.X.C.L.); j.dacosta@uq.edu.au (J.C.D.C.)
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: s.smart@uq.edu.au; Tel.: +61-7-3365-8835; Fax: +61-7-3365-4199. Received: 8 April 2011; in revised form: 18 April 2011 / Accepted: 28 April 2011 / Published: 29 April 2011
Abstract: In this work we investigate the potential of a polyethylene glycol-polypropylene glycol-polyethylene glycol, tri-block copolymer as a template for a hybrid carbon/silica membrane for use in the non-osmotic desalination of seawater. Silica samples were loaded with varying amounts of tri-block copolymer and calcined in a vacuum to carbonize the template and trap it within the silica matrix. The resultant xerogels were analyzed with FTIR, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and N2 sorption techniques, wherein it was determined that template loadings of 10 and 20% produced silica networks with enhanced pore volumes and appropriately sized pores for