Recycling and Separation of Homogeneous Catalyst from Aqueous Multicomponent Mixture by Organic Solvent...

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) is a key technology for homogeneous catalyst recycling.
• Specific solvent mixtures require tailored membrane classification for effective application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate Evonik's DuraMem® 300 membrane for magnesium triflate catalyst recycling.
• To assess membrane performance in a ternary solvent mixture (ethanol, ethyl acetate, water) under varying pressures.

Main Methods:

• Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) experiments were conducted.
• Magnesium triflate was used as the model catalyst in an ethanol, ethyl acetate, and water mixture.
• Two transmembrane pressures were applied to test membrane performance.

Main Results:

• High catalyst retention (up to 98%) was achieved with DuraMem® 300.
• Permeability reached up to 4.44·10⁻¹ L·bar⁻¹·m⁻²·h⁻¹ when ethyl acetate concentration was below 25%.
• Selective retention and enrichment of ternary mixture components were observed, indicating fractionation capabilities.

Conclusions:

• Evonik's DuraMem® 300 is suitable for magnesium triflate recycling in specific solvent mixtures.
• The membrane's performance is dependent on the solvent composition, particularly ethyl acetate concentration.
• The observed fractionation suggests potential for simultaneous separation and purification processes.