DESORPTION OF ETHYL ACETATE-WATER MIXTURE BY USING CROSS-LINKED POLY(VINYLALCOHOL) MEMBRANE AND COMPARISON OF RESULTS WITH PERVAPORATION

Abstract

In this study using poly(vinylalcohol) (PVOH) membranes cross-linked with tartaric acid (Tac) desorption experiments were performed for selected concentrations of binary ethyl acetate (EtAc)-water mixture at temperatures of 30°, 40°, and 50°C to determine sorption of components. Sorption values measured were compared with those estimated by the Flory-Huggins approach. Additionally, desorption results were compared with pervaporation results of another study in terms of solution-diffusion theory, and the effect of thermodynamic interactions on selective transport of the binary mixture and membrane system was investigated. The results obtained show that selective transport of EtAc-water mixture was influenced by increasing temperature and water content in the feed. It is shown that preferential sorption is more effective for pervaporation selectivity than diffusion selectivity.

Keywords:

• Cross-linked poly(vinylalcohol)
• Desorption
• Ethyl acetate-water mixture
• Pervaporation

Acknowledgments

Financial support of YTUAF 23-07-01-02 and YTUBAPK 25-07-01-06 projects and TUBITAK PhD grant to S. Korkmaz are appreciated.

Notes

^a Reid et al., 1987.

^b Perry and Chilton, 1984.

^a EtAc densities are calculated from modified Rackett equation (Reid et al., 1987) and water densities are taken from Perry and Chilton (1984).

^b Salt, 2002.

^c Gmehling and Onken, 1977; energy difference is taken as temperature independent in our work.