Objective
A technology for dehydration acetic acid and esters by pervaporation was developed by researchers in this project. Applications have been tested and delivered for commercial use.
In certain cases, this process is better than conventional technologies. Dehydration of formic acid was hindered by corrosion problems but PVC/PAN membranes have shown some promising results and tests continue. The membrane showed positive results in acetic acid dehydration for a wide range of water concentrations.
MEMBRANE PROCESSES HAVE BECOME ESTABLISHED AS LOW COST INDUSTRIAL SEPARATION PROCESSES GIVING REDUCTIONS IN BOTH ENERGY AND CAPITAL.
RECENTLY THE MEMBRANE TECHNIQUE KNOWN AS PERVAPORATION HAS BEEN COMMERCIALISED IN EUROPE FOR DEWATERING AQUEOUS ORGANIC SOLVENTS. WIDER APPLICATION OF THIS TECHNOLOGY IS PRESENTLY LIMITED BY THE POOR STABILITY OF EXISTING PERVAPORATION MEMBRANES IN ACIDIC MEDIA.
THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND THEIR ESTERS IS OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE TO THE EUROPEAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRY.
DRYING COSTS COMMONLY ACCOUNT FOR 20-50 % OF TOTAL OPERATING COSTS AND THEREFORE A SUITABLE PERVAPORATION SYSTEM COULD HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT IN REDUCING INDUSTRIES' SEPARATION COSTS.
THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP ACID RESISTANT PERVAPORATION MEMBRANES FOR DEWATERING AQUEOUS ORGANIC ACIDIC MIXTURES. THE 4 MAIN TASKS OF THE RESEARCH PROGRAMME WILL BE AS FOLLOWS. FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH WILL BE CARRIED OUT TO SELECT A SUITABLE POLYMER AND TO DEVELOP BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PERVAPORATION PROCESS. MEMBRANES WILL THEN BE DEVELOPED AND EVALUATED, AND MODULE DESIGN PARAMETERS WILL BE INVESTIGATED.
PRELIMINARY PROCESS EVALUATION WILL ALSO BE UNDERTAKEN.
Funding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
EC2M 7BA London
United Kingdom
Participants (3)
52056 Aachen
66424 Homburg
7500 AE Enschede