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Synergistic SA/Pebax composite membranes on ceramic supports for efficient ethanol-water separation
Fadias Rara Ardana Lakuy1, Taufik Qodar Romadiansyah1,2, Alvin Rahmad Widyanto3
1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Data Analytics, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember Kampus ITS Keputih, Sukolilo Surabaya 60111 Indonesia nurul_widiastuti@its.ac.id.
RSC Advances
|April 1, 2026
Summary
This study introduces sodium alginate/Pebax composite membranes for efficient ethanol-water separation via pervaporation. The optimized membranes significantly enhance separation performance, offering a sustainable, energy-efficient biofuel production solution.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Separation Science
Background:
- Efficient ethanol-water separation is crucial for sustainable biofuel production but current methods are energy-intensive.
- Developing advanced membrane materials is key to improving separation efficiency and reducing energy consumption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize synergistic sodium alginate (SA)/Pebax composite membranes on ceramic supports for high-performance pervaporation.
- To investigate the effect of SA/Pebax ratios and glutaraldehyde crosslinking on membrane properties and separation performance.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of SA/Pebax composite membranes with varying ratios (5:1 to 3:2) on ceramic tubes.
- Characterization using FTIR, SEM, AFM, and tensile strength tests.
- Pervaporation performance evaluation for ethanol-water separation at 50 °C and 90 wt% ethanol feed.
Main Results:
- The SA/Pebax (4:1) membrane exhibited enhanced thermal stability, mechanical strength (12.04 MPa), and hydrophilicity.
- Optimized membranes showed a significant increase in separation factor, reaching 281 (a 56-fold improvement over pure SA).
- The SA/Pebax (4:1) membrane achieved a high flux of 133 g m⁻² h⁻¹ at 50 °C and 90 wt% ethanol feed.
Conclusions:
- SA/Pebax composite membranes offer a promising, energy-efficient solution for water/ethanol separation in sustainable chemical processing.
- Tuning polymer ratios and crosslinking effectively enhances membrane performance for biofuel applications.
- These membranes represent a significant advancement over conventional separation techniques.
