Pervaporation is a promising new membrane process for the separation of solvent mixtures. This firm has recently been developing pervaporation systems using thin-film composite membranes in spiral- wound membrane modules. They propose to develop improved membranes and processes for the separation of small amounts of dissolved hydrophilic polar solvents from water. These solutions represent a considerable opportunity for pervaporation. In the Phase I program, they will demonstrate the overall feasibility of the concept in small 0.1-0.2 square meter spiral-wound membrane modules. In the Phase II program, the most promising membranes would be optimized. These results would then be used to complete a technical and economic analysis of the process. Pervaporation is a promising new membrane process for separating a low concentration of a volatile solute from solution. For example, organic molecules like those found in gasoline can be removed from water by passing the solution through a membrane unit in which the membrane is permeable to the organic molecules, but not to the water. This is much less expensive than an energy intensive process like distillation, since the water does not have to be heated. Currently, however, there are no commercial membrane systems which can separate a more water-like molecule, such as ethanol, from water. Development of membranes with this capability would extend the process of pervaporation to this important class of separations. The company proposes to test the feasibility of several potential membrane systems to perform such a separation in Phase I. The most successful membranes would then be optimized in Phase II, and the design data necessary for a complete technical and economic analysis of the process would be gathered.
