Separation of butanol from butanol-oleyl alcohol mixture by pervaporation with poly(dimethylsiloxane) hollow-fiber membrane.

Pervaporation of butanol-oleyl alcohol mixture through a poly(dimethylsiloxane) hollow-fiber membrane was carried out at various temperatures, pressures on the permeate side and concentrations of butanol in the feed solution. The butanol flux increased with increasing temperature and with increasing concentration of butanol in the feed solution. The butanol flux was analyzed by the solution-diffusion model modified with a term for the swelling effect of butanol on the membrane. The oleyl alcohol flux was irrelevant to the change in temperature and pressure on the permeate side, and could be explained by the solution-diffusion model.The separation factors of butanol ranged from 19 to 270 below 2.5 × 103 mol·m–3 of butanol concentration in the feed solution in the range of 323–353 K. The separation factor increased with increasing temperature and concentration of butanol in the feed solution.