Thin porous metal sheet-supported NaA zeolite membrane for water/ethanol separation

► An ultra thin (<2 μm) NaA zeolite membrane is directly deposited on a thin (∼50 μm) porous metal support sheet with good adhesion and high quality for the first time. ► A water/ethanol selectivity greater than 10,000 and water permeation flux above 4 kg/(m2 h) were demonstrated with water/ethanol feed mixtures over a range of water contents and separation temperatures. ► A H2O-facilitated ethanol transport model is proposed to explain the decrease of the H2O/ethanol selectivity with increasing water content in the feed mixture.