Preparation of silicalite-1 micromembranes on laser-perforated stainless steel sheets

Zeolite (silicalite-1) micromembranes having only approximately 0.005 mm(2) of permeation area have been prepared on laser-perforated, 75-mum-thick stainless steel sheets. Arrays of these micromembranes performed well in the gas-phase separation of a propane/N-2 mixture, showing a hydrocarbon permeance at least an order of magnitude larger than those of the conventional zeolite membranes.