Green solvents for the fabrication of polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs)

Abstract

Chemical separation based on polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) is a “Green Chemistry” alternative to solvent extraction by drastically reducing the use of toxic and volatile solvents which are used predominantly in PIM fabrication. This paper thus assesses the suitability of non-hazardous and renewably sourced “green” solvents (i.e., acetone, ethyl acetate, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, and dihydrolevoglucosenone (CyreneTM)) for the fabrication of PIMs composed of the most commonly used polymers (i.e., poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), cellulose triacetate and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP)) and extractants (i.e., di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid and Aliquat 336). It is d..