Carbon molecular sieve membranes for biofuel separation

A feasibility study was conducted to explore the potential application of carbon molecular sieve membranes (CMSMs) in biofuel separation through pervaporation. Defect-free carbon/ceramic composite membranes were prepared as the separation barrier for the dehydration of ethanol. The supported CMSM carbonized at 650 degrees C showed a great total flux of 4 kg/m(2)h with a reasonably high separation factor of 50 at a feed temperature of 60 degrees C and did not swell in high temperature operations. These carbon membranes demonstrate outstanding separation performance and offer a viable alternative to current membranes for the separation and purification of biofuels. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.