Fabrication of Corrosion-Resistant Polymer-Derived Sioc Ceramic Membrane for Effective Organics Removal

Abstract

Ceramic membranes with tailorable structures and functions have attracted increasing attention in the field of water treatment. The polymer-derived SiOC ceramic membranes were fabricated via a phase separation method in this work. The pore structure of the as-prepared SiOC ceramic membranes were well controlled by the sintering temperature and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) content, leading to a pore size ranging from 0.84 to 1.62 μm and porosity from 25.0 to 43.8%. With Rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a model pollutant, the SiOC membranes demonstrated a highly effective removal rate of 99% with a water permeability of 639.4 ~ 1831.7 LMH. The experiment on pollutant elimination indicated that the primary mechanism was attributed to the adsorption due to the electrostatic ion interaction. Furthermore, the SiOC membranes sustained minimal damage during the 24 h exposure to high-intensity acid-base conditions due to the exceptional chemical durability provided by its unique silicon oxycarbide structures.

Keywords: SiOC membrane, Polymer-derived ceramic, Rhodamine 6G removal, Electrostatic interaction, Corrosion resistance