Specialty polymeric membranes 12. Pervaporation of benzene-cyclohexane mixtures through carbon graphite-nylon 6 composite membranes

Carbon graphite was expected to show affinity toward aromatics by using pi-electron interaction. Novel membranes for pervaporation were prepared from carbon graphite (CG) and nylon 6 (N6). The composite membranes showed permselectivity toward benzene from benzene-cyclohexane mixtures. Benzene was permeated in preference to cyclohexane from benzene-cyclohexane mixtures and separation factor toward benzene reached to 435 at the weight fraction of benzene in feed of 0.1. From the sorption experiments, it was made clear that the introduction of CG into N6 enhances the solubility selectivity toward benzene and, as a result, benzene was preferentially permeated through the CG-N6 composite membranes. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.