Pervaporation for the Separation of Methyl Ethyl Ketone from Binary Process Mixtures

The separation of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) from binary process mixtures containing water and ethanol has been examined. These studies demonstrate the capability of pervaporation membranes to effectively separate MEK from various process streams in industry. Extensive organic permeation studies were performed using silicone composite membranes to evaluate the effect of temperature, permeate-side pressure, and feed concentration on flux and selectivity. Two organophilic membranes, a high selectivity low flux membrane and a low selectivity high flux membrane, were compared. Dehydration of a MEK-water mixture was also effectively performed with a poly vinyl alcohol composite membrane. MEK was separated only slightly from an ethanol mixture using a silicone membrane.