Desorption-controlled separation of natural gas alkanes by zeolite membranes

Abstract

The performance of porous membranes is tremendously influenced by desorption, as alkane separations by a pressure stable MFI membrane revealed. High membrane selectivities as well as permeation fluxes are to be traced back to the fact that a reduced permeate pressure significantly decreases the loading gradient of the adsorbed molecules in the membrane.