Fabrication of α ‐Si ₃ N ₄ ‐nanowire/ γ ‐Y ₂ Si ₂ O ₇ composite superhydrophobic membrane for membrane distillation

Abstract This paper reports on the successful fabrication of α ‐Si ₃ N ₄ ‐nanowire/Y ₂ Si ₂ O ₇ composite membranes with superhydrophobic properties, aiming to achieve a high performance in membrane distillation. The starting powder mixture of 87 wt% γ ‐Y ₂ Si ₂ O ₇ , 5 wt% Si, 3 wt% LiYO ₂ , and 5 wt% ferrocene catalyst was dispersed in a stable suspension, and after being tape‐casted, it was sintered at 1300°C for 4 hours in order to obtain the composite membrane. α ‐Si ₃ N ₄ nanowires with a diameter of about 50 nm were formed, distributed uniformly on the surface and in the pores of the membrane and their presence greatly favored superhydrophobicity. After surface modification with a robust hydrophobic layer of SiNCO nanoparticles, strongly adhered to the surface of the produced membrane, a water contact angle of 153 ^o , was measured. Water desalination experiments, using a sweeping gas membrane distillation (SGMD) device, were conducted. High water flux of 11.91 L/m ² /h was achieved for a 4 wt% NaCl feeding solution at 90°C. Stable water flux and rejection rates were recorded in long‐term experiments (>500 hours) using the produced superhydrophobic composite membrane.