Keywords: zeolites,ceramic method, membranes, permeation

Contact Title:: Dr.

Contact First Name: Rolando

Contact Last Name: Roque-Malherbe

University: Universidad del Turabo

Web:

Position: Director of the Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology

Country: USA

Email: RRoque@suagm.edu

Fax: 1-787-744 5427

Paper Title:

Synthesis, Characterization and Permeation Study of Zeolite Based Porous Ceramic Membranes

Abstract:

Using a ceramic methodology, materials, which possess excellent mechanical properties and are presumably porous were obtained. In the present study using a ceramic methodology, XRD, SEM, EDAX, adsorption methods and permeation tests, new porous ceramic zeolite based membranes, were synthesized, and thoroughly characterized.

These membranes will be obtained by the thermal transformation of natural clinoptilolite powders pressed to produce wafers. The XRD, SEM and adsorption studies confirmed the previously obtained results, explicitly, the clinoptilolite amorphization at 600-900 oC and that a posterior recrystallization to a siliceous phase and a compact aluminosilicate phase at 900 – 1150 oC is produced. Applying the Darcy Law, the Permeability [B] and Permeance [P] of H2 and CO2 were measured.

The membrane pore sizes were estimated, with the help of a simple model. Also, it was estimated that the predominant flow regime in the membrane was the gaseous flow. Then, the Darcy Law for gaseous laminar flow using the Carman-Kozeny relation was applied. With this relation the membrane pores sizes were measured. It was revealed that the porosity of the obtained materials can be easily controlled by the help of the grain size of the original natural zeolite powder. The produced membranes were further transformed by the hydrothermal synthesis methodology to obtain materials covered with an AlPO4-5 molecular sieve. Finally, it was concluded that the obtained membranes could be applied, by itself, in industrial filtration processes and also as support materials in composite membranes, for gas cleaning, principally Hydrogen cleaning.

Mailing Address:

PO Box 3030,

Gurabo, PR 00778-3030

Phone:

1-787-743 7979 ext. 4260

Authors:

R. Roque-Malherbe (P), W. del Valle, F. Marquez and J. Duconge.