Pervaporation membrane reactor design guidelines for the production of methyl acetate

Abstract

Design guidelines were applied for the production of methyl acetate in a pervaporation membrane reactor. The limits of operation were determined. The shift in equilibrium is evaluated by a simple model involving simultaneously chemical equilibrium and transport across the membrane. This analysis establishes possibilities and limitations of a pervaporation membrane reactor. The performance of a continuous stirred tank reactor with a pervaporation membrane (PV-CSTR) is analyzed. To achieve conversions higher than 90%, conditions must satisfy D _a > 150 and 0.01 < P _e < 100. Increasing temperature has a negative effect on membrane reactor conversion. The effect of sweep is important at high-permeate pressures. Two design charts were created to illustrate dynamics between permeation rates, reaction rates, and selectivity with conversion. The three powerful tools proposed for the analysis of a pervaporation membrane reactor described the system in a systematic way.

Keywords:

• Pervaporation membrane reactor
• Design methodology
• Design charts
• Methyl acetate

Acknowledgment

The authors thank to the Dirección de Investigaciones of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Manizales, for financial support of this research.

Notes

International Scientific Conference on Pervaporation, Vapor Permeation and Membrane Distillation, 8–11 September 2011, Toruń, Poland