Separation of acid–water mixtures by pervaporation using nanoparticle filled mixed matrix copolymer membranes

BACKGROUND: Low energy and less expensive membrane based separation of acetic acid‐water mixtures would be a better alternative to conventional separation processes. However, suitable acid resistant membranes are still lacking. Thus, the objective of the present study was to develop mixed matrix membrane (MMM) which would allow high flux and water selectivity over a wide range of feed concentrations of acid in water. RESULTS: Three MMMs, namely PANBA0.5, PANBA1.5 and PANBA3 were made by emulsion copolymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) and butyl acrylate (BA) with 5.5:1 comonomer ratio and in situ incorporation of 0.5, 1.5 and 3 wt%, sodium montmorilonite (Na‐MMT) nanofillers, respectively. For a feed concentration of 99.5 wt% of acid in water the membranes show good permeation flux (2.61, 3.19, 3.97 kg m^?2 h^?1 µm^?1, for PANBA0.5, PANBA1.5 and PANBA3 membrane, respectively) and very high separation factors for water (1473, 1370, 1292 for PANBA0.5, PANBA1.5 and PANBA3 membrane, respectively) at 30 °C. Similarly for a dilute acid–water solution, i.e. for 71.6 wt% acid the membrane showed a very high thickness normalize flux (8.67, 9.44, 11.56 kg m^?2 h^?1 µm^?1, for PANBA0.5, PANBA1.5 and PANBA3 membrane, respectively) and good water selectivity (101.7, 95.3, 79 for PANBA0.5, PANBA1.5 and PANBA3 membrane, respectively) at the same feed temperature. The permeation ratio, permeability, diffusion coefficient and activation energy for permeation of the membranes were also estimated. CONCLUSION: Unlike most of the reported membranes, the present MMMs allowed high flux and selectivity over a wide range of feed concentrations. These membranes may also be effective for separating other similar organic‐water mixtures. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Investigation of the effect of tetrahydrofuran and acetone as cosolvents in acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene–based nanofiltration membranes

In this study, novel nanofiltration membranes were prepared with acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS)–poly(ethylene glycol)–N,N ‐dimethylacetamide–[tetrahydrofuran (THF)–acetone] as a cosolvent. All of the membranes were prepared by the phase‐inversion method and a casting solution technique. The effects of the cosolvent concentration in the casting solution and the evaporation time before the immersion/precipitation step on the membrane performance and properties were investigated. The prepared membranes were characterized through their permeation flux, salt rejection, and phase‐inversion time values. The salt rejection was increased from 53% for the bare ABS membrane to 73% for the membrane prepared with 40 wt % THF as a cosolvent. The water flux was decreased from 4345 to 1121 cc m^?2 h^?1 with the addition of THF to the casting solution. The addition of acetone to the casting solution improved the water flux from 4345 to 5607 cc m^?2 h^?1 and reduced the salt rejection from 53 to 36%. The evaporation time of THF and acetone led to similar effects on flux and rejection. However, with evaporation time, membranes prepared with acetone were denser than those prepared with THF; this was due to the lower boiling point and higher boiling rate of acetone at the same temperatures. This resulted in greater effects on the ABS performance and structure. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 44993.     

Permeation and Separation Characteristics of Acetic Acid‐Water Mixtures by Pervaporation through Acrylonitrile and Hydroxy Ethyl Methacrylate Grafted Poly(vinyl alcohol) Membrane

Abstract

In this study, acrylonitrile (AN) and hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate (HEMA) were grafted onto poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) using cerium (IV) ammonium nitrate as initiator at 30°C. The graft copolymer was characterized using the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and elemental analysis. The grafted PVA membranes (PVA‐g‐AN/HEMA) were prepared by a casting method, and used in the separation of acetic acid‐water mixtures by pervaporation. The effects of the membrane thickness, operating temperature, and feed composition on the permeation rate and separation factor for acetic acid‐water mixtures were studied. Depending on the membrane thickness, the temperature and feed composition PVA‐g‐AN/HEMA membranes gave separation factors 2.26–14.60 and permeation rates of 0.18–2.07 kg/m²h. It was also determined that grafted membranes gave lower permeation rates and greater separation factors than PVA membranes. Diffusion coefficients of acetic acid‐water mixtures were calculated from permeation rate values. The Arrhenius activation parameters were calculated for the 20 wt.% acetic acid content in the feed using the permeation rate and the diffusion data obtained at between 25–50°C.     

Pervaporation separation of water/dimethylformamide mixtures using poly(vinyl alcohol)‐g‐polyacrylamide copolymeric membranes

Grafted copolymeric membranes of poly(vinyl alcohol) with acrylamide (PVA‐g‐AAm) were developed and used in the pervaporation separation of water–dimethylformamide mixtures by varying the amount of water in the feed from 0 to 100%. From these data, the permeation flux, pervaporation separation index, diffusion coefficient, swelling index, and separation selectivity were calculated at 25, 35, and 45°C. The Arrhenius activation parameters for permeation flux ranged between 22 and 63 kJ/mol, while the activation energy for diffusion ranged between 23 and 67 kJ/mol. Separation selectivity was between 15 and 22. The highest permeation flux of 0.459 kg m^?2 h^?1 was obtained for the 93% grafted membrane at 90% of water in the feed mixture. The results are discussed using the principles of the solution–diffusion model. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 273–282, 2002     

Development of methanol selective membranes for separation of methanol–methyl tertiary butyl ether mixtures by pervaporation

Several copolymers of acrylonitrile (AN) were synthesized. Methanol selective membranes were prepared from these copolymers of AN. The other monomers in the copolymers were selected on the basis of their solubility parameter values relative to those of methanol. These were hydroxyethyl methacrylate, methacrylic acid, and vinyl pyrrolidone. Thus, pervaporative separation of methanol from its mixture with methyl tertiary butyl ether over the entire concentration range of 0–100% methanol was studied using these copolymer membranes of AN. For each copolymer of AN three different membranes with different copolymer compositions were prepared. Copolymers of AN with hydroxyethyl methacrylate and methacrylic acid showed high selectivity and moderate flux for methanol (2561, 773, 0.057, and 0.045 kg/m² h, respectively, with a membrane of 50‐μm thickness for a feed mixture containing 5% methanol at 30°C). A copolymer of AN with vinyl pyrrolidone showed comparable flux, but methanol selectivity of this membrane was poor. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 2645–2659, 1999     

Synthesis and polymerization of a new iodine‐containing monomer

A new iodine‐containing methacrylate monomer, 3,4,5‐triiodobenzoyloxyethyl methacrylate (TIBEM), was synthesized by coupling 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with 3,4,5‐triiodobenzoic acid. The monomer was characterized by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared (IR), and ultraviolet spectra. Homopolymerization and copolymerization of the monomer with methyl methacrylate (MMA) were carried out using 2,2′‐azobis isobutyronitrile as the initiator. A terpolymer of TIBEM, MMA, and HEMA was also synthesized. The copolymers were characterized by IR, gel permeation chromatography, differential thermal analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). High molecular weight polymers were produced with MMA at different feed compositions of TIBEM. The polymers were found to be freely soluble in common solvents for acrylic polymers. TGA showed little decomposition of the copolymer below 280°C. Copolymers showed good radiopacity at 25 wt % of TIBEM in the feed. These copolymers could find applications in medical and dental areas where radiopacity is a desirable feature of the implants. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 2580–2584, 2003     

Pervaporation characteristics and structure of poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(ethylene glycol)/tetraethoxysilane hybrid membranes

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) blended with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was crosslinked with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) to prepare organic–inorganic PVA/PEG/TEOS hybrid membranes. The membranes were then used for the dehydration of ethanol by pervaporation (PV). The physicochemical structure of the hybrid membranes was studied with Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT‐IR), wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction WXRD, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). PVA and PEG were crosslinked with TEOS, and the crosslinking density increased with increases in the TEOS content, annealing temperature, and time. The water permselectivity of the hybrid membranes increased with increasing annealing temperature or time; however, the permeation fluxes decreased at the same time. SEM pictures showed that phase separation took place in the hybrid membranes when the TEOS content was greater than 15 wt %. The water permselectivity increased with the addition of TEOS and reached the maximum at 10 wt % TEOS. The water permselectivity decreased, whereas the permeation flux increased, with an increase in the feed water content or feed temperature. The hybrid membrane that was annealed at 130°C for 12 h exhibited high permselectivity with a separation factor of 300 and a permeation flux of 0.046 kg m^?2 h^?1 in PV of 15 wt % water in ethanol. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Synthesis of graft copolymeric membranes of poly(vinyl alcohol) and polyacrylamide for the pervaporation separation of water/acetic acid mixtures

Graft copolymers of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with polyacrylamide were prepared and membranes were fabricated at 48 and 93% grafting of acrylamide onto PVA. These membranes were used in the pervaporation separation of water/acetic acid mixtures at 25, 35, and 45°C. The permeation flux, separation selectivity, diffusion coefficient, and permeate concentration were determined. The highest separation selectivity of 23 for neat PVA at 25°C and the lowest value of 2.2 for 93% acrylamide‐grafted PVA membranes were observed. A permeation flux of 1.94 kg m^?2 h^?1 was found for the 93% grafted membrane at 90 mass % of water in the feed mixture. The diffusion coefficients in a water/acetic acid mixture had an effect on the membrane permselectivity. The Arrhenius equation was used to calculate the activation parameters for permeation as well as for the diffusion of water and of acetic acid. The activation energy values for the permeation flux varied from 97 to 28 kJ/mol. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 244–258, 2002     

Sorption and permeation of acetic acid–water mixtures by pervaporation using copolymer membrane

Poly (acrylonitrile‐co‐methyl acrylate) copolymer designated as PANMA was used for making pervaporation membrane. This membrane was used for separation of acetic acid–water mixtures over the concentration range of 80–99.5 wt% acetic acid in water. Interaction parameters based on Flory–Huggins lattice model and engaged species induced clustering (ENSIC) model was used to explain swelling of the membranes. Coupling in sorption was explained in terms of activity coefficient of water and acid in feed and membrane using Flory–Huggins model and also by interpolating ENSIC parameters. Flow coupling in pervaporation was also determined from phenomenological deviation coefficients. Intrinsic membrane properties like partial permeability and membrane selectivity of the solvents were also determined. Diffusion coefficient and plasticization coefficient of the solvents were obtained using a modified solution–diffusion model. The copolymer membrane showed high flux and water selectivity for highly concentrated acid. Thus, at 30°C temperature 1–20 wt% water in feed was concentrated to 82–84 wt% water in permeate and for 0.95 wt% water in feed, the membrane showed thickness normalized flux and water selectivity of 1.71 kg m^?2 h^?1 mμ and 409, respectively. OLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Pervaporation dehydration of water/ethanol/ethyl acetate mixtures using poly(vinyl alcohol)–silica hybrid membranes

The novel organic–inorganic hybrid membranes were prepared from poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and vinyltriethoxysilane (VTES). They were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and contact angle metering. The as‐prepared membranes are formed at a molecular scale at a low VTES content. Aggregations in the surface of the as‐prepared membranes were clearly evident above 18.43 wt % VTES loading. The introduction of VTES into the PVA matrix resulted in a decrease in the crystalline and an increase in compactness and thermal stability of the as‐prepared membranes. Silica hybridization reduced the swelling of the as‐prepared membranes in water/ethanol/ethyl acetate mixtures, decreased the permeation flux, and remarkably enhanced water permselectivity in pervaporation dehydration of ethanol/ethyl acetate aqueous solution. The hybrid membrane with 24.04 wt % VTES has the highest separation factor of 1079 and permeation flux of 540 g m^?2 h^?1. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Separation of ethylene glycol–water mixtures with composite poly(vinyl alcohol)–polypropylene membranes

Composite membranes consisting of a crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) active layer on top of a porous polypropylene (PP) support were prepared with glutaraldehyde as a crosslinking reagent. The degree of crosslinking and the thickness of the active layer were determined with attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The membranes were used in the pervaporation dehydration of ethylene glycol (EG)–water mixtures. The effects of the crosslinker content and operational conditions, including feed EG concentration and operating temperature, on the permeation flux and selectivity of the PVA–PP composite membranes were investigated. We observed that the dehydration of a 80 wt % EG mixture at temperature of 60°C, a feed flow rate of 1.5 L/min, and a vacuum pressure of 10 mmHg could be effectively performed, and a moderate permeation flux and a high separation factor were obtained, that is, 0.91 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ and 1021, respectively. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

CuO‐filled aminomethylated polysulfone hybrid membranes for deep desulfurization

CuO‐filled aminomethylated polysulfone hybrid membranes were prepared for sulfur removal from gasoline. The as‐prepared membranes were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The separation performance of the hybrid membranes was evaluated by pervaporation (PV) separation of n‐heptane/thiophene binary mixture. CuO‐filling leads to a decrease in permeation flux. The sulfur‐enrichment factor increased first and then decreased with increasing CuO loading, and it is worth noting that there is a rebound in enrichment factor above 8 wt % CuO loading. Influencing factors such as nitrogen content, feed temperature, sulfur content, and various hydrocarbons on membrane PV performance were also evaluated. Permeation flux of 23.9 kg·μm·m^?2·h^?1 and sulfur‐enrichment factor of 3.9 can be achieved at 4 wt % CuO loading in PV of n‐heptane/thiophene binary mixture with 1500 μg·g^?1 sulfur content. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3718–3725, 2013     

Modified polydimethylsiloxane/polystyrene blended IPN pervaporation membrane for ethanol/water separation

In this article a modified polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) blended polystyrene (PS) interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) membranes supported by Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) ultrafiltration membrane were prepared for the separation of ethanol in water by pervaporation application. The relationship between the surface characteristics of the surface‐modified PDMS membranes and their permselectivity for aqueous ethanol solutions by pervaporation are discussed. The IPN supported membranes were prepared by sequential IPN technique. The IPN supported membrane were tested for the separation performance on 10 wt % ethanol in water and were characterized by evaluating their mechanical properties, swelling behavior, density, and degree of crosslinking. The results indicated that separation performance, mechanical properties, density, and the percentage of swelling of IPN membranes were influenced by degree of crosslink density. Depending on the feed temperature, the supported membranes had separation factors between 2.03 and 6.00 and permeation rates between 81.66 and 144.03 g m^?2 h^?1. For the azeotropic water–ethanol mixture (10 wt % ethanol), the supported membrane had at 30°C a separation factor of 6.00 and a permeation rate of 85 g m^?2 h^?1. Compared to the PDMS supported membranes, the PDMS/PS IPN supported blend membrane ones had a higher selectivity but a somewhat lower permeability. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Acetic acid/water separation by pervaporation with silica filled PDMS membrane

Silica‐filled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite membranes are prepared on a polytetrafluoroethylene support structure. The structure and the performance of the membranes are characterized by scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and thermogravimetry. The pervaporation process for acetic/water separation is performed within the PDMS membranes. The vulcanization temperature was found to have a great influence on the separation performance of the membrane. The addition of silica can significantly improve the pervaporation flux and enhance the thermal stability of the membrane. With an increase in the feed temperature, selectivity decreases and permeation flux increases. Performed with a pure PDMS membrane vulcanized at 30°C, the separation factor at first will increase, then decrease when the feed flow rate was increased from 14 to 38 L · h^?1. The maximum separation factor is achieved when the feed flow rate is 26 L · h^?1. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Chitosan/polyvinylpyrrolidone‐silica hybrid membranes for pervaporation separation of methanol/ethylene glycol azeotrope

Chitosan (CS)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)‐silica hybrid membranes are prepared to separate the methanol/ethylene glycol (EG) azeotrope. These hybrid membranes are formed in semi‐interpenetrating network structure at the molecular scale via sol‐gel reactions between CS and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). The physico‐chemical property and morphology of the as‐prepared membranes are investigated in detail. They have lower crystallinity, higher thermal stability, and denser structure than the pristine CS membrane and its blending counterpart. The as‐prepared hybrid membranes demonstrate excellent performances and a great potential in pervaporation separation of methanol/EG. Silica‐hybridization depressed the swelling degree of membranes in the azeotrope, and remarkably enhanced methanol sorption selectivity. The membrane containing 7.77 wt % PVP and 14.52 wt % TEOS has a permeation flux of 0.119 kg m^?2 h^?1 and separation factor of 1899. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Advanced FO membranes from newly synthesized CAP polymer for wastewater reclamation through an integrated FO‐MD hybrid system

A new cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) polymer has been synthesized and used to prepare high‐performance forward osmosis (FO) membranes. With an almost equal degree of substitution of acetyl and propionyl groups, the CAP‐based dense membranes show more balanced physicochemical properties than conventional cellulose acetate (CA)‐based membranes for FO applications. The former have a lower equilibrium water content (6.6 wt. %), a lower salt diffusivity (1.6×10¹⁴ m² s^?1) and a much lower salt partition coefficient (0.013) compared with the latter. The as‐prepared and annealed CAP‐based hollow fibers have a rough surface with an average pore radius of 0.31 nm and a molecular weight cut off of 226 Da. At a transmembrane pressure of 1 bar, the dual‐layer CAP‐CA hollow fibers show a pure water permeability of 0.80 L m^?2 h^?1 bar^?1 (LMH/bar) and a rejection of 75.5% to NaCl. The CAP‐CA hollow fibers were first tested for their FO performance using 2.0 M NaCl draw solution and deionized water feed. An impressive water flux of 17.5 L m^?2 h^?1 (LMH) and a reverse salt flux of 2.5 g m^?2 h^?1 (gMH) were achieved with the draw solution running against the active CAP layer in the FO tests. The very low reverse salt flux is mainly resulting from the low salt diffusivity and salt partition coefficient of the CAP material. In a hybrid system combining FO and membrane distillation for wastewater reclamation, the newly developed hollow fibers show very encouraging results, that is, water production rate being 13–13.7 LMH, with a MgCl₂ draw solution of only 0.5 M and an operating temperature of 343 K due to the incorporation of bulky propionyl groups with balanced physiochemical properties. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 1245–1254, 2013     

Poly(ether sulfone) supported hybrid poly(vinyl alcohol)–maleic acid–silicone dioxide membranes for the pervaporation separation of ethanol–water mixtures

Microporous poly(ether sulfone) (PES) supported hybrid polymer–inorganic membranes were prepared by the crosslinking of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), maleic acid (MA), and SiO₂ via an aqueous sol–gel route and a solution‐casting method. The membrane performance was tested for the pervaporation separation of ethanol–water mixtures from 20 to 60 °C with a feed ethanol concentration of 96 wt %. The membrane characterization results reveal that different SiO₂ loadings affected the crystallinity and roughness of the membranes. The PVA–MA–SiO₂ membrane containing 10 wt % SiO₂ showed that SiO₂ nanoparticles were well dispersed within the polymer matrix; this resulted in significant enhancements in both the flux and selectivity. The membrane achieved a high water permeability of 1202 g·μm·m^?2 h^?1 kPa^?1 and a selectivity of 1027 for the separation of a 96 wt % ethanol‐containing aqueous solution. This enhanced membrane performance might have been due to the dense crosslinking membrane network, increased free volume, and uniform distribution of SiO₂ nanoparticles. Both the water and ethanol fluxes increased with the feed water concentration and temperature. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 44839.     

Polysiloxaneimide membranes for removal of VOCs from water by pervaporation

For the separation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from water by pervaporation, three polysiloxaneimide (PSI) membranes were prepared by polycondensation of three aromatic dianhydrides of 4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA), 3,3′,4,4′‐benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA), and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) with a siloxane‐containing diamine. The PSI membranes were characterized using ¹H‐NMR, ATR/IR, DSC, XRD, and a Rame‐Hart goniometer for contact angles. The degrees of sorption and sorption selectivity of the PSI membranes for pure organic compounds and organic aqueous solutions were investigated. The pervaporation properties of the PSI membrane were investigated in connection with the nature of organic aqueous solutions. The effects of feed concentration, feed temperature, permeate pressure, and membrane thickness on pervaporation performance were also investigated. The PSI membranes prepared have high pervaporation selectivity and permeation flux towards hydrophobic organic compounds. The PSI membranes with 150‐μm thickness exhibit a high pervaporation selectivity of 6000–9000 and a high permeation flux of 0.031–0.047 kg/m² h for 0.05 wt % of the toluene/water mixture. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 2691–2702, 2000     

Teflon AF2400/Ultem composite hollow fiber membranes for alcohol dehydration by high‐temperature vapor permeation

High‐temperature vapor permeation has a stringent requirement of membrane stability under harsh feed environments. This work reports the design of Teflon AF2400/Ultem composite hollow fiber (HF) membranes for alcohol dehydration via vapor permeation. Fabrication parameters such as Teflon concentration and coating time were systematically investigated. Interestingly, the fabricated composite HF membranes possess an unusual surface with honeycomb‐like microstructure patterns. Owing to the Teflon protective layer, the newly developed composite HF shows a promising and stable separation performance with a flux of 4265 gm^?2 h^?1 and a separation factor of 383 for 95% isopropanol dehydration at 125°C. The composite HF also performs well under extreme vapor feed compositions from 87 to 99 wt % isopropanol. In addition, it exhibits impressive separation performance for the dehydration of ethanol and n‐butanol. This work may provide useful insights of designing thermal‐stable and high‐performance composite polymeric membranes for vapor permeation. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 1747–1757, 2016     

Preparation and characterization of nanoparticle-filled,mixed-matrix membranes for the pervaporation dehydration of isopropyl alcohol

Novel polymeric mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) were prepared by the incorporation of different amounts of 13X zeolite into a sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) blend matrix. The resulting MMMs were characterized by attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to analyze the possible chemical reactions between NaCMC, PVA, zeolites, and glutaraldehyde. Scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction were used to analyze the surface morphology, thermal stability, and crystallinity, respectively, of the membranes. Swellings studies were performed at 35°C, and we found that membranes containing 20 wt % zeolite showed higher values (960 kg m⁻² h⁻¹) at 17.5 wt % water in an isopropyl alcohol (IPA)/water mixture. Pervaporation (PV) experiments were also performed to evaluate the membrane performance in different compositions of the IPA/water mixture at 35°C. The mechanical properties were also tested, and we found that the optimum mechanical strength and percentage elongation at break were 42.24 N/mm² and 3.38, respectively, for the membrane containing 15 wt % zeolite. The experimental results show that both the flux and selectivity increased with increasing zeolite content. The membrane containing 20 wt % zeolite showed the highest separation selectivity (5118) with a substantial flux of 0.121 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ at 35°C and with 10 wt % water in the feed; this suggested that the membranes could be used effectively to break the azeotropic point of the water–IPA mixture, so as to remove a small amount of water from IPA. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012