Maxwell-Stefan Equations Applied to the Modeling of Multi-Component Permeation through a Silicalite-1 Membrane

Abstract

The component fluxes and separation factors of the two binary systems CO2/CH4 and n-butane/isobutane through a defect-free silicalite-1 membrane were measured and modeled by the generalized Maxwell-Stefan (GMS) equations. For a mixture of CO2 and CH4 through the zeolite membrane, the GMS equations in combination with the Ideal Adsorbed Solution (IAS) theory for the mixture adsorption appropriately describe the component fluxes. On the other hand, this model cannot predict the permeation behavior of a mixture of butane isomers. In the current study, the proposed model based on the GMS equations combined with the Binary Dual-site Langmuir (BDSL) for the adsorption of butane isomers on silicalite-1 successfully simulates the permeation fluxes and separation factors.