Preparation and properties of methyltrichlorosilane grafted modified ceramic membranes for membrane distillation

In order to further improve the performance of membrane distillation, this article started with the development of new membrane materials and preparation processes, with the aim of producing ceramic flat membranes suitable for industrial promotion. Methyltrichlorosilane was employed as a modifier, and grafting polymerization was utilized to modify ceramic flat membranes. The optimal modification conditions were obtained through orthogonal experiments: the concentration of the modification solution is 0.20 mol/L, the number of modifications is 3, the modification time is 24 h, the heat treatment temperature is 70 degrees C, and the heat treatment time is 30 h. Then, the ceramic membrane was characterized after the experiment, and the results showed that the Methyltrichlorosilane-grafted modified ceramic membrane was successfully prepared, with the highest contact angle reaching 121.5 degrees. Then membrane distillation performance testing experiments were conducted using modified membranes, verifying the good treatment effect of modified membranes in membrane distillation. Finally, a computational fluid dynamics model was established to simulate the process of direct contact membrane distillation using modified membranes. The distribution of temperature, velocity, and pressure inside the membrane module was analyzed. The effects of membrane structural parameters on permeate flux were explored. The findings revealed that enlarging pore size and increasing porosity can enhance the permeate flux. However, increasing membrane thickness can lead to a reduction in the permeate flux. This study offers valuable theoretical support for optimizing the performance of direct contact membrane distillation.