Preparation and pervaporation characteristics of mordenite membranes for water/ethanol and p-/o-xylene mixtures

Mordenite membranes were prepared using porous |a -alumina tubes as supports by seeded hydrothermal synthesis. The influence of the quantities of seeds on the supports was investigated on the pervaporation performance of mordenite membranes for separating a water/ethanol mixture. Mordenite membranes with the water/ethanol separation factors of higher than 10,000 were successfully prepared on the supports that were dip-coated in the suspension of 0.02 g L -1 seed concentration. The pervaporation of p-/o-xylene isomers was also studied through mordenite membranes. It was found that the pervaporation of p- and o-xylene in the mixture followed the single-diffusion mechanism through the mordenite membrane.