• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.127-138
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• 1994

In the process of pervaporation separation for aqueous ethanol solution through cellulose tai-acetate(CTA) membrane, the modelling on the solution-diffusion permeation mechanism was built up on the basis of sorption and permeation experimental results. Also its function type and parameter were examined. The composition of sorption equilibrium in three component system(Ethanol/Water/CTA) were compared with the calculated value by Flory-Huggins' equation using the pure component sorption data. In order to apply the thermodynamic equilibrium relationship between the membrane free composition in the membrane and the equilibrium composition in the liquid phase, the apparent activity this system, however, the results were not satisfied. Diffusion equations were expressed with the concentration gradient considering permeate alone, and a concentration-dependent diffusion coefficient which includes a parameter was used. And this model was fitted with the measured permeation rates. If the permeation rate and the amount of sorption of one component were much larger than those of the other, the bulk flow term could not be negligible. The flux and selectivity were increased with increasing temperature, and with decreasing downstream pressure.