A highly electrically conductive polymer-multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposite membrane

Electrically conductive polymeric ultrafiltration membranes were fabricated by pressure filtering a thin layer of poly(vinyl alcohol) - cross-linked with carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and succinic acid - onto a support membrane. The effect of the degree of cross-linking and that of CNT concentration on the performance of these membranes was evaluated. These membranes demonstrated high pure water flux with good particle separation, high electrical conductivity, low polymer crystallinity, and low surface tensions. Membranes formed with 20min cross-linking curing times and 20w/% CNT concentration showed electrical resistivity as low as 2.8×10 -4Ωm (conductivities as high as 3.6×10 3S/m), pure water flux of 1440L/m 2h at pressures of 550kPa, and triple-point initial contact angles as low as 40° with high hysteresis. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Duke Scholars

Author Mark Wiesner Civil and Environmental Engineering