PERVAPORATION OF WATER ETHANOL MIXTURES BY AN AROMATIC POLYETHERIMIDE MEMBRANE

The pervaporation of water/ethanol mixtures through an aromatic polyetherimide membrane was attempted. The membrane was laboratory prepared using the solution casting technique. The sorption characteristics in relation to pervaporation were also studied. It was found that the preferential sorption was altered when the liquid composition was changed, whereas the water component permeated through the membrane preferentially over the whole range of feed mixture compositions. The experimental results were analyzed in terms of sorption ratio and permeation ratio to characterize nonideality of sorption and pervaporation. The effects of some operating parameters, including temperature, feed concentration, and permeate pressure, on the pervaporation performance were also investigated.