| Abstract: | Pervaporation and vapor permeation are membrane-based processes proposed as alternatives to conventional separation technologies. Applications range from organic solvent removal from water, ethanol, or butanol recovery from fermentation broths, solvent/biofuel dehydration to meet dryness specifications, and organic-organic separations such as the removal of sulfur compounds from gasoline. Unlike membrane filtration processes, which rely on an applied liquid pressure gradient and size sieving to accomplish a separation, pervaporation and vapor permeation separate compounds based on a chemical activity driving force and the sorption and diffusion of the compounds through the membrane. These properties enable the separation of even miscible liquid mixtures. |
