Pervaporation separation of n-heptane/thiophene mixtures by polyethylene glycol membranes: Modeling and experimental

Abstract

Gasoline desulfurization by membrane processes is a newly emerged technology, which has provided an efficient new approach for sulfur removal and gained increasing attention of the membrane and petrochemical field. A deep understanding of the solution/diffusion of gasoline molecules on/in the membrane can provide helpful information in improving or optimizing membrane performance. In this study, a desulfurization mechanism of polyethylene glycol (PEG) membranes has been investigated by the study of sorption and diffusion behavior of typical sulfur and hydrocarbon species through PEG membranes. A solution–diffusion model based on UNIFAC and free volume theory has been established. Pervaporation (PV) and sorption experiments were conducted to compare with the model calculation results and to analyze the mass transport behavior. The dynamic sorption curves for pure components and the sorption experiments for binary mixtures showed that thiophene, which had a higher solubility coefficient than n-heptane, was the preferential sorption component, which is key in the separation of thiophene/hydrocarbon mixtures. In all cases, the model calculation results fit well the experimental data. The UNIFAC model was a sound way to predict the solubility of solvents in membranes. The established model can predict the removal of thiophene species from hydrocarbon compounds by PEG membranes effectively.