Desenvolvimento de membranas microporosas com compósitos poliméricos de PVC, PEG e fibras vegetais

Abstract

The natural fibers have good mechanical and adsorptive properties, considerably biodegradability, low cost and still provide from renewable resources. Moreover, the incompatibility between hydrophilic natural fibers and synthetic hydrophobic polymeric materials is a challenge at the application of these composite materials generates the weak interface fiber / polymer, delamination of the materials and can occur, therefore, preparation of composite materials remains a challenge. In this work semi-permeable membranes were synthesized with array polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and the combined array of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) reinforced with natural fibers (loofah, sugarcane, coconut and pequi) in natura and chemically treated. The natural fibers passed for three different treatments, mercerizing or alkalization by sodium hydroxide 5% (w/w), acetylation and treatment with potassium permanganate to 0.5% (w/w). The characterization of composite and precursor was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal analysis (TG-DTG-DSC), scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive ray-X (SEM / EDS), hardness and x-ray diffraction. Permeability studies involving swelling test water, rhodamine B dye adsorption in batch and microfiltration dye solutions, aimed application in treating effluents. The insertion of vegetable fibers in the polymeric membrane caused a decrease in thermal stability and a decrease in Shore D hardness tests, especially in composite membranes with PVC PEG matrix. Moreover, the fibers provide a significant increase in adsorptive capacity for membranes made of PVC and PVC-PEG ranging from 8% to 98%, depending on the type of fiber, chemical treatment and the polymer matrix. Membranes prepared with sugar cane and coconut fibers were more efficient in the adsorption of the dye. With respect to chemical treatments observed change in the morphology of the fibers, making them more rough, promoting a higher affinity and cohesiveness in the polymer-fiber interface.