ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Applications of Polyurethane-Based Membranes in Pervaporation Separations

A. Wolińska-Grabczyk, J. Muszyński, and A. Jankowski

Institute of Coal Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-44-121 Gliwice, Poland

E-mail: grabczyk@karboch.gliwice.pl

Received: 19 May 2000

Abstract: Pervaporation is a new membrane separation technique which enables liquid mixtures to be separated by partial vaporization through a nonporous permselective membrane. The effectiveness of the whole pervaporation process is directly related to the permeation and separation ability of the membrane that is governed by the chemical nature and structure of the membrane material. In this work novel polyurethane- and poly(urethane—urea)-based membrane materials are presented which were designed and synthesized with the aim of separating volatile organic compound/water and organic/organic mixtures. The programming of the polyurethane molecular structure was performed with respect to the particular separation requirements and realized at the synthesis stage by using different reagents in various mole ratios. The obtained polyurethane-based membrane materials were examined in the separation of liquid mixtures of commercial interest, like hydrocarbons mixtures with a high and a low aromatics content, MeOH/MTBE azeotropic mixture, or in the removal of benzene and chloroform from water.

Full paper in Portable Document Format: 546aa389.pdf

Chemical Papers 54 (6a) 389–392 (2000)