Membrane pervaporation - An experimental experience in novel separations for green engineering

Abstract

Pervaporation membrane processes represent a state-of-the-art separation for the specialty chemical, pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries. In its industrial application, pervaporation can be used for solvent purification, reuse and recovery - thus enabling green process design for the environment. At Rowan University we have successfully immersed student teams in learning the principles, design and applications of membrane pervaporation through a project-based experience in our engineering clinics. Through this experimental project, students have learned about the industrial uses of membrane technology. Students also learn about the various process aspects of pervaporation, from selecting the proper membrane for the desired separation to examining performance parameters, membrane transport, vacuum operation and cryogenic vapor trapping, not normally taught in chemical engineering curricula. Most importantly, students see how membrane processes can be used in "green process" operation and design.