Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
639340 | Journal of Membrane Science | 2006 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
Thin, high flux and highly selective cross-linked poly(vinyl)alcohol waterselective layers have been prepared on top of hollow fibre ceramic supports. The supports consist of an α-Al2O3 hollow fibre substrate and an intermediate γ-Al2O3 layer, which provides a sufficiently smooth surface for the deposition of ultra-thin PVA layers. Membranes have been characterised by SEM and pervaporation experiments. The thickness of the PVA layer formed on top of the γ-Al2O3 intermediate layer is in the order of 0.3-0.8 μm. No significant infiltration of PVA into the intermediate γ-Al2O3 layer can be observed. In the dehydration of 1-butanol (80 °C, 5 wt.% water) the membranes exhibit a high water flux (0.8-2.6 kg mâ2 hâ1), combined with a high separation factor (500-10,000). The values for the flux and separation factor exceed typical values obtained for cross-linked PVA membranes on polymeric supports. In the dehydration of 2-propanol and 1-butanol, a simultaneous increase in both water flux and separation factor is observed with increasing temperature or water concentration. This remarkable behaviour is in contrast to the trade-off generally observed for polymer membranes, i.e., an increase in flux is typically combined with a decrease in separation factor. A possible explanation for this behaviour is a low degree of three-dimensional swelling in the vicinity of the γ-Al2O3-PVA interface due to an enhanced structural stability. In the dehydration of ethanol and 1-propanol the traditional trade-off between flux and selectivity was observed.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Filtration and Separation
Authors
T.A. Peters, C.H.S. Poeth, N.E. Benes, H.C.W.M. Buijs, F.F. Vercauteren, J.T.F. Keurentjes,