Application of hydroxy sodalite films as novel water selective membranes

Supported hydroxy sodalite (H-SOD) membranes were prepared on α-alumina disks using direct hydrothermal synthesis at 413 K for 3.5 h. The continuity of the membranes was verified using single gas permeation of He and N2 at ambient conditions. The membranes were impermeable to N2 and He, which validated absence of defects in the membrane structure. The membranes were used in dewatering several organic alcohol/water mixtures (organic alcohol being: methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, 1-pentanol, and 2-pentanol). The influence of feed temperature (303–473 K), feed concentration (0–100 mol% alcohol in the feed), and absolute feed pressure (1.6–2.4 MPa) on the water flux were analyzed. The absolute feed pressure had no effect on the water permeance. The membrane exhibited a water/alcohol separation factor larger than 106 and showed excellent thermal, mechanical, and operation stability in continuously dehydrating a water/ethanol mixture (72 mol% water) by pervaporation at 473 K and 2.2 MPa for 125 h. The normalized water flux correlated well with the water feed concentration for the primary alcohols. Below 40 mol% water in mixtures with secondary alcohols the water flux was three orders of magnitude lower. The water mobility through the membrane had an activation energy of ∼15 kJ/mol.