Pervaporative separation of ethanol-water mixtures using Ghanaian zeolite-clay filled PVA composite membrane
Loading...
Date
2011
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
A pervaporative separation of ethanol-water mixture was successfully performed using a PVA based composite membrane filled with zeolites made from Ghanaian clay. The substrate for the ultra-thin PVA composite membrane was made of polysulphone. The pervaporation cell was fabricated locally from scrap aluminium and feed concentrations of ethanol-water mixture ranging from 60 to 90 v% were separated. The clay samples used in the development of the membranes were obtained from Abonku, Anfoega and Teleku-Bokazu. The effective surface area of the membranes for separation was 0.007854 m2. The experiments were carried out at room temperature of 300C. For each run, a feed concentrations of 60 v%, 70 v%, 80 v% and 90 v% ethanol was used and respective permeate concentrations were measured accordingly. The pressure at the feed was kept at atmospheric while that at the permeate side was kept at vacuum pressure in the range of 0.10 to 0.15kg/cm2. For all the feed concentrations, the final retentate concentrations after 10 hours of experiment produced relatively higher concentrations of ethanol, signifying separation of the mixture. For a feed concentration of 90 v %, the mixture was enriched to concentrations more than 95 v% and a separation factor of 85.09 and more was obtained.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Board of Postgraduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Science in Chemical Engineering