Dehydration of Alcohol by Membrane Process

Abstract: The separation of commercial PVA membrane was studied over a board range of concentration for binary alcohol-water systems. Poly-vinyl alcohol membrane has yielded promising results for the dehydration of lower alcohols (ethanol), having high fluxes and fermentation rate. Pervaporation experiments with various concentrations of aqueous ethanol within the operating temperature conditions of 250C, 500C and 750C were successfully completed and finalized with respect to the operating temperatures, a minimum mass fluxes were observed at concentrations of 10-20%(v/v) aqueous ethanol solvents despite the fact that maximum viscosity of the solvent occurs at 50% (v/v) thus challenging the viscosity additively rule. Results drawn using polymeric for poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) membranes were promising, suggesting high permeation with high mass flux. All pervaporation tests were conducted at every 1 hour intervals. The mass fluxes data collected was originally the units of kilograms per hour which was then used to kilograms per hour per square of meter (kg/m2.hr), however, the mass flux often falls within the range of 0.1-1.8 kg/m2.hr at 50oC. The permeation rate was in the units of (mol/m2.sPa). However, the permeate rate often falls within the range of 2.09E-04-3.27E-03 mol/m2.sPa. Keywords: polyvinyl alcohol, ethanol, pervaporation test, solvent, etc.