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A Novel Approach to Fabricate Zeolite Membranes for Pervaporation Separation Processes

Alomair, Abdulaziz

[Thesis]. Manchester, UK: The University of Manchester; 2014.

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Abstract

The production of zeolite membranes has developed over the last decade, and the membranes have been used extensively in pervaporation separation processes due to their resistance to chemical and thermal operating conditions. However, the conventional methods used in preparing anisotropic zeolite membranes, such as the secondary growth and in-situ crystallization methods, involve long and complex procedures that require the preparation of zeolite aluminosilicate gel prior to the fabrication process. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop and test an easier, less expensive, and less time-consuming technique to fabricate different types of zeolite anisotropic membranes. Moreover, the fabrication of zeolite membranes using inexpensive kaolin raw materials taken straight out of the ground was taken into account and assessed. Within this framework, a novel technique of converting raw source alumina and silica, to a useful pure material of zeolite A was developed without any form of pre-treatment. Although this technique yielded a successful outcome in terms of the purity of the product, the later work conducted in fabricating membranes was focused on natural and commercial sources of zeolites rather than using the prepared products, to avoid the lengthy procedure. Anisotropic membranes of zeolite A, mordenite, and ZSM-5 were fabricated successfully using a simple, economical, and straight-forward technique. This technique made it possible to fabricate types of zeolite membranes that have been difficult to synthesise at the lab scale, where an anisotropic, clinoptilolite, thin membrane was fabricated for the first time in this study. All of the four membranes were subjected to different types of mixtures and provided promising results.

Layman's Abstract

The main aim of this study was to seek a straightforward, less time-consuming technique for fabricating membranes with numerous separation properties using natural and synthetic zeolites. Consequently, the key objectives are as follows:• To investigate, without using a purification process, the feasibility of converting raw material to a useful pure zeolite to be utilized in membrane fabrication processes.• To evaluate two different post-treatment methods for membrane synthesis by using zeolite seed paste and a carbon precursor to improve different types of membranes that have been fabricated by conventional methods.• To define a novel, simple technique that incorporates a carbon precursor and can be used to fabricate the desired zeolite membranes that are suitable for use in the dehydration of organic liquids, the removal of organic materials from mixtures, and organic/organic separation processes.