Performance of PVA/NaA Mixed Matrix Membrane for Removal of Water from Ethylene Glycol Solutions by Pervaporation

Abstract

A mixed matrix membrane with superior performance was prepared by incorporating zeolite NaA particles in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for dehydration of ethylene glycol (EG)-water mixtures. The zeolite NaA, with its favorable interaction with the polymer phase, is responsible for improving the pervaporation (PV) dehydration of EG-water mixtures in terms of separation factor, permeation flux, and PV separation index (PSI). This improvement is due to hydrophilicity enhancement, and molecular sieving action and selective adsorption of zeolite. It was found out that membrane with 5 wt.% loading of particles shows the highest separation factor of 1520 with a permeation flux of 2.4 kg/m2h at 70°C for a feed mixture of 20 wt.% of water in EG.