Can anybody provide me with the type of membranes used to separate different types of azeotropic mixtures, as membranes are specific for specific mixtures...Those membranes which are mechanically stable,can withstand low as well as high pressures etc.i want to know the type of binders used to mix with simple membranes...can anybody please answer..
Almost all azeotropic mixtures of H2O/org. solvent and MeOH/org. solvent can be separated by our hybrid silica membranes in pervaporation and/or vapour permeation.
You can also use PVA or zeolite membranes.
BR
sir, i have to separate mostly alcoholic/water azeotropic mixtures and many more....are these membranes fit for such separations.
Hello Asma,
Pervaporation membranes are often used to separate alcohol/water mixtures. However, depending on the feed composition you have to select the membranes. If you have more water in your feed then you should PDMS membranes since they are hydrophobic and can remove alcohols efficiently. This is known as Hydrophobic pervaporation.
If you have more alcohol in your feed then you should use membranes prepared from either PVA, Chitosan, Alginates etc. These polymers are hydrophilic and removes water efficiently. This is known as pervaporation dehydration.
You can make dense self supporting or supported composite membranes as well.
For more details please refer this review
article http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jctb.1265/epdf
I hope this answer is helpful to you.
Thanks Parimal Vijay Naik sir...you have provided me with a good information..
@ Parimal Vijay Naik..can u plz tell me what type of membrane should we use for an azeotropic mixture of equimolar composition (either alcohol/water or any other mixture).
Dear Asma,
As I described earlier you can use PDMS or PVA, Chitosan membranes. But, I doubt how it will behave in equimolar compositions.
You can try this, first pass your feed over hydrophobic membrane and check the performance. Then pass the same feed over hydrophilic membrane to check the effect. In this way you can check effect of same feed on two different membranes in single experiment.
I hope it is clear to you.
Regards
Dear Asma,
You can get hydrophobic and hydrophilic membranes for, I guess, all your problems commercially from us. Just have a look on our webpage/contact us for more information.
Best regards
Of course it depends on the azeotrope components and it would be a lot of variants (including membranes of various stabllity). Most important is that the industrial membranes (producing by industry, etc.) are very limited in comparison with scientific papers on new membranes. Any case one may look on Sultzer membaranes (Pervap).
Sultzer membaranes (Pervap) are commercial one. one has to purchase then for use...isn't so A.M.Toikka sir???