PERMEATION OF ETHYLBENZENE AND HYDROGEN THROUGH UNTREATED AND CATALYTICALLY-TREATED ALUMINA MEMBRANES

Experiments were conducted to measure the transport rates of ethylbenzene and hydrogen through an alumina inorganic membrane in a tubular geometry. The effective diffusivity was estimated from a membrane tube model and interpreted via a four-region picture of the membrane structure. Knudsen diffusion through the 40 angstrom narrow membrane pores appeared to control the overall separation. The membrane with catalytic treatment yielded effective diffusivities two orders of magnitude lower than the untreated membrane. Ethylbenzene and hydrogen diffuse independently of one another in both treated and untreated membranes.