Abstract
AbstractThe separation characteristics of binary mixtures and complex pharmaceutical wastes were studied using commercial water selective pervaporation membranes. Various synthetic alcohol‐water (plus salt in some cases) systems and actual waste were utilized for this investigation. The total flux (at 60°C)for the ethanol‐water system decreased from 1.26 to 0.05 ty/m2/hrasthe feed ethanol concentration increased from 35 to 97 wt %. The separation factor (water/ethanol) was found to increase by about 100 times for the same range of concentration. The water/isopmpanol selectivity was found to be considerably higher than the water/ethanol selectivity. The total flux (at 60°C)for the isopropanol‐water system varied from 0.85 to 0.48 kg/m2/hras the feed isopropanol concentration was increased from 35 to 70 wt %. The effect of the presence of salt in the feed on the pervaporation separation was also studied. There was a noticeable effect only at high concentrations of salt in the alcohol‐water feed. Both the total flux and the membrane selectivity were observed to decrease at high salt concentrations. Pervaporation can be used for the volume reduction of pharmaceutical wastes. Pervaporation experiments were performed on a complex pharmaceutical “waste A” at two different temperatures. The total flux (0.9 kg/m2/hr) at 60°C for the waste was observed to be six times the total flux at 28°C whereas the TOC (total organic carbon) reduction factor (7.9) at 60°C was found to 2.5 times that at 28°C. A 87 % removal of the TOC and COD of the waste stream was observed. Pervaporation, using water selective membrane, was also performed on a dilute “Waste B” and only 40 % TOC/COD removal was obtained. Based on the experimental results and operating cost calculations, it can be concluded that pervaporation is indeed an attractive strategy for the volume reduction and for simultaneous reduction of organic concentration in the permeate stream.
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