ghasem khatinzadeh - chemical and petochemistry research division
mohammad mahdyarfar - gas research division
amir naserahmadi - chemical and petochemistry research division

In the present work , variation of operating parameters such as feed temperature and permeate prssure in removal of benzene from gasoline by pervaporation using a composite membrane with a top layer of polyvinyl alcohol PVA on a porous polycrylonitril PAN support has been sudied. the membrane has been found to be selective towards benzene in comparison to othe compounds in gasoline as the final content of benzene in feed was experimentally reduced from 3% to just below 1% in reterntate. also the results indicate that in pervaporation experiments at temperatures in the 25-45 C range and permeate pressure in the 3-30mmHg range , total fluxes of 10-100g/hm2 were obtained. furthermore, reducing pressure from 3 to 30 mmHg increases total flux and amount of benzene in permeate. as a result , increasing temperature and reducing pressure enhance membrane performance in reduction of benzene content in gasoline.

pervaporation, benzene, gasoline, polyvinyl alcohol.