Fabrication and Characterization of Metal Organic
Framework (MOF) Based Membrane

Abstract

Membrane-based separation is an increasingly viable, cost-effective complementary separation technology to traditional unit operation for a number of industrially important applications. MOFs as membrane materials are of particular interest for continuous membrane based separations, and other applications. Despite a great deal of research in MOFs as membranes, there still exist some challenges to fabricate continuous crack-free MOF membranes. In this paper low cost clay based support is fabricated using normal clay as the building material. It is found that the heterogeneous nucleation density of MOF crystal on ceramic supports is very low; as it is difficult to form direct chemical bonds between the surface support and the MOF material. Hence, our clay based support surface is modified by alumina coating on the surface by sol-gel technology. Boehmite sol is used for this purpose. Then Cu-BTC MOF was integrated on the alumina coated support by different techniques: in situ solvothermal and step by step seeded growth method. It has been found that with increasing the sintering temperature of the alumina coated support above 1073 K crystallinity can be increased. Increase of concentration in case of step by step seeded growth also ensures better layer of MOF impregnation over the support. Various characterizations are performed
to study the nature of the MOF membrane. A detailed cost estimation of the membrane based on the cost of the raw materials is also done, and found out to be comparative with other reported ceramic membranes and far below than more popular commercially available ceramic membranes.