Water-alcohol separating membrane and method for separation of water and alcohol by the use thereof
AssigneesAgency of Industrial Science and Technology, Ministry of International Trade & Industry
InventorsToshihiro Hirotsu, Shigeru Nakajima
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Abstract
An insolubilized silk fibroin membrane possesses an ability to permit preferential permeation therethrough of water from a mixture of water and alcohol. When the mixture of water and alcohol is disposed on one side of this membrane and the space on the other side of the membrane is vacuumized, the water from the mixture preferentially permeates through the membrane and the alcohol concentration in the mixture proportionately increases.
Claims4
A method for the separation of water from a water-alcohol mixture, which method comprises subjecting a silk fibroin film to a treatment capable of rendering said silk fibroin film insoluble in said water-alcohol mixture, disposing said water-alcohol mixture on one side of said insolubilized silk fibroin membrane and vacuumizing the space on the other side of said insolubilized silk fibroin membrane, thereby permitting preferential permeation of water from said water-alcohol mixture through said insolubilized silk fibroin membrane and proportionately increasing the alcohol concentration in said water-alcohol mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.