title: Performance of PDMS membranes in pervaporation: effect of silicalite fillers and comparison with SBS membranes.
abstract: Laboratory-made silicalite filled PDMS membranes were tested by means of concentration and temperature influence on the membrane performance in removal of ethanol from ethanol/water mixtures. This allowed studying the applicability of solution-diffusion model in the transport mechanism description. Experiments were performed by varying the ethanol concentration in the feed and temperature. Two types of fillers were incorporated into the PDMS network: commercial zeolite silicalite (CBV 3002) and laboratory-made colloidal silicalite-1. Obtained results were then compared with data gathered for unfilled PDMS membranes to examine the effect of fillers incorporation. Moreover, the comparison with novel block co-polymer based porous and dense SBS membranes was done. It was found that the solution-diffusion model was a good representation of ethanol transport through both filled and unfilled PDMS membranes, whereas the water flux did not obey this model due to the swelling effects. Incorporation of the fillers increased membrane stability and improved the selectivity. Performance of the SBS membranes characterized by a dense structure was found to be similar to the performance of filled PDMS membranes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Applied Physical Chemistry and Environmental Technology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, W. de Croylaan 46, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dobrak
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Figoli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chovau
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galiano
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simone
authors.forename: I F J
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Vankelecom
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Drioli
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Van der Bruggen
mesh_terms: D002070:Butadienes / Q000737:chemistry*; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009757:Nylons / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D017640:Silicates / Q000737:chemistry*; D020058:Styrene / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D002070:Butadienes; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009757:Nylons; D017640:Silicates; C085707:poly(dimethylsiloxane)-polyamide copolymer; D020058:Styrene