Study of vapor/gas permeation using thin immobilized liquid membrane

To improve liquid membrane selectivity and stability for removal of vapor and gases from a gas stream, a thin immobilized liquid membrane (ILM) has been studied. Low vapor pressure liquid solvent/solutions were immobilized in part of the micropores of a hydrophilic, hydrophobic or ceramic hollow fiber substrate. To prepare such thin ILMs, three approaches were used: evaporation of the a volatile solvent; acrylic acid-grafted hollow fibers providing a thin hydrophilic layer; pressurization technique. For removal of volatile organic compound (VOC), a thin ILM of silicone oil incorporated in the micropores of a hydrophobic hollow fiber with a silicone rubber coating yielded a highly VOC-enriched permeate and increased separation factor. The same ILM was stable over an extended period (6 months - 2 years) demonstrating the potential utility of such an ILM-based hollow fiber device for VOC-N_2/air separation. A mathematical model was successfully developed to describe the VOC-N_2 permeation-separation in a hollow fiber permeator having this special type of membrane containing a thin ILM. Grafting method used for the preparation of a thinner ILM resulted in various hollow fibers having different hydrophilic layer thickness. These fibers were used to study the effect of various glycerol-based and aqueous liquid membranes immobilized in the thin hydrophilized part of the fiber. Glycerol-based ILMs resulted in low CO_2 permeances in the range of 1*10^{-6} cm^3/cm^2*s*cmHg for enclosed atmosphere application; aqueous based ILMs has much better performance. A pressurization technique was used to prepare a thin ILM in porous hydrophilic and ceramic substrates. It was shown that when appropriate asymmetric hollow fibers substrates were used, increase in CO_2 permeance was achieved.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering - (Ph.D.)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Chemical Engineering

Year

2003

Author dc:creator

• Obuskovic, Gordana

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kamalesh K. Sirkar
• Piero M. Armenante
• Dana E. Knox

• Immobilized liquid membrane
• Vapor permeation
• Gas permeation
• Chemical Engineering

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/dissertations/563

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.njit.edu:dissertations-1618