Preparation of highly selective zeolite ZSM-5 membranes by a post-synthetic coking treatment

Abstract

Zeolite ZSM-5 membranes with high n-butane:isobutane selectivities, e.g., 322 at 185°C, are obtained by a selective deposition of coke into non-zeolitic pores. The zeolite membranes are prepared by in situ crystallization on either bare porous α-Al_2O_3 support disks or disks that are pretreated to include a diffusion barrier. The post-synthetic coking treatment is accomplished by impregnating these membranes with liquid 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene (TIPB) for 24 h at room temperature and then calcining them in air at 500°C for 2 h. Calcination at 500°C for up to 30 h does not destroy the high n-butane:isobutane selectivity. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) experiments on two model pore systems ZSM-5 (5.5 Å) and Vycor glass (40–50 Å) suggest that micro-defects are selectively eliminated by the TIPB coking treatment while the intracrystalline pore space of the ZSM-5 is not affected. The elimination of non-zeolitic pores results in a large increase of n-butane:isobutane pure gas flux ratio (45 vs. 320 at 185°C) accompanied by a fourfold reduction of the n-butane flux. The permeation experiments reveal that the n-butane flux increases nonlinearly with the partial pressure in the feed while the n-butane:isobutane pure gas flux ratio remains relatively unchanged.