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Application of the Pervaporation Process to Separate

Azeotropic Mixtures

Article  in  Journal of Membrane Science · December 1976

DOI: 10.1016/S0376-7388(00)82272-3

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Journal of Membmne Sctence, 1(1976) 271-267 271
o Elsevler Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam - Printed m The Netherlands

APPLICATION OF THE PERVAPORATION PROCESS TO SEPARATE

AZEOTROPIC MIXTURES

P. APTEL, N CHALLARD, J. CUNY and J. NEEL

Ecole Nattonale Supkneure des Industrzes Chrmzques, Znetztut Natzonal Polytechnzque de
Lormme, I, rue Gmndvdle, 54000 Nancy (France)
(Received October 1,1976, m revised form February 16,1976)

Pervaporatlon through poly(tetrafluoroethylene) films grafted w&h N-vinylpyrrolidone

has been successfully used to fractionate positive axeotroprc liquid systems. Selectivlties
higher than 10 have often been attamed and daily productions above 100 kg per square
meter of membrane can be easily obtained. This procedure can be used for separating
water-aprotic solvent, wateticohol and alcohol--alkane constant boiling mixtures. It is
shown that a temperature gradient can also be used as the driving force for the transport.
By this “thermopervaporation” technique, the condensation of the pervaporate occurs at
ambient temperature and an mcrease of the feed temperature leads to an Increase of both
selectlvrty and flux.

Introduction and scope

Pervaporation is a fractionation process which uses polymeric membranes

as separative barriers between the vapor and the liquid phases of a mixture.
The mass flux is brought about by mamtaining the downstream side of the
membrane at essentially zero vapor pressure. This is done with a vacuum
pump or by an mert gas flow.
Contrary to other membrane processes, this separation technique requires
the vaporization of a part of the liquid charge. It is then necessary to bring
mto the system a quantity of energy which is at least equal to the heat of
evaporation. It follows that, in general, pervaporation can be of practical use
only when the selectivity of the transfer is much higher than for an ordinary
vaporization; that is particularly the case for azeotropic mixtures. Neglectmg
equipment costs, the evaluation of pervaporation must be made by comparmg
the gam in energy due to the higher selectivity with the inherent dxadvantage
of the relative slowness of a process which involves transport through a mem-
brane. However, it should be noted that an improvement of the selectivity, at
constant flux, both decreases the energy consumption and increases the
quantity of hquid charge purified in a given time.
286

problem of separation of such axeotropic mixtures. It presents several ad-

vantages over classical pervaporation. First, only waste heat - z.e. water at a
temperature of about 80°C - is required. Secondly, the pervaporate is con-
densed at ambient temperature with practically no energy consumption.
Lastly, as the pervaporate is also a liquid, a continuous multi-stage apparatus
can be now more easily designed.

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