Permeation and separation of benzene/cyclohexane mixtures through liquid-crystalline polymer membranes

The side-chain liquid-crystalline polymer (LCP) was synthesized by the addition of the mesogenic monomer to poly(methylsiloxane) with Pt catalyst. When the benzene/cyclohexane mixtures were permeated through the LCP membranes by pervaporation at various temperatures, the permeation rate increased with increasing benzene concentration in the feed solution and permeation temperature. Though the LCP membranes exhibited a benzene permselectivity, a mechanism of the permeation and separation for the benzene/cyclohexane mixtures was different in the glassy, liquid-crystalline and isotropic state of the LCP membranes. These results suggested that the permselectivity was fairly influenced by the change of the LCP membrane structure, that is, a state transformation. It was found that a balance of the orientation of mesogenic groups and flexibility of siloxane chains is very important for the permeability and selectivity. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys, 35: 699–707, 1997     

Hydrogen-bonding-driven self-assembly nonporous adaptive crystals for the separation of benzene from BTX and cyclohexane

Benzene is a volatile organic compound that can seriously harm human health, while it can serve as a precursor to produce chemicals of more complex structures in chemical industry. Capturing benzene using adsorbents is of great importance for human health, when the separation of hydrocarbons including benzene from crude oil was referred to as one of the “seven chemical separations to change the world”. In this work, we reported the efficient and selective separation of benzene from BTX and cyclohexane by hydrogen bonding self-assembly nonporous adaptive crystals AdaOH for the first time under mild and user-friendly conditions. Separation of benzene and cyclohexane (v/v = 1:1) can be achieved by AdaOH with a purity of benzene up to 96.8%. Separation of BTX (v/v; benzene:toluene:o-xylene:m-xylene:p-xylene= 1:1:1:1:1) can be achieved by AdaOH with a purity of benzene increased from 20% to 82.9%. Our results suggest that separation of benzene using the activated AdaOH as a non-porous adaptive crystal for selectively and efficiently capturing benzene can solve the challenge in separation of benzene from other chemicals such as cyclohexane in chemical industry, and can be helpful for removal of benzene that is released from the vehicles to air. The advantages of commercially availability, easy preparation, high separation efficiency and selectivity for benzene might endow this material with enormous potential for practical uses in areas like petrochemical industry.     

Selective oxidation of benzene to phenol over FeAlPO catalysts using nitrous oxide as oxidant

A tetrahedrally coordinated iron in framework substituted microporous AlPO-5 catalysts are shown to be active and selective for the hydroxylation of benzene to phenol, using nitrous oxide as the oxidant.     

Permeation and separation characteristics for benzene/cyclohexane mixtures through tosylcellulose membranes in pervaporation

Tosylcelluloses (TosCells) with different degrees of tosylation were synthesized as membrane materials for the separation of benzene/cyclohexane (Bz/Chx) mixtures. TosCell membranes showed a high benzenepermselectivity for the Bz/Chx mixtures in pervaporation (PV). An increase in the benzene concentration in the feed mixtures increased permeation rate but decreased the benzenepermselectivity of the TosCell membranes. The increase in the permeation rate was attributed to the increase of the degree of swelling of the TosCell membranes by the feed mixtures and the decrease in the benzenepermselectivity was mainly caused by the decrease of sorption selectivity. With low benzene concentrations in the Bz/Chx mixtures, the permeation rate of a TosCell membrane with a higher degree of tosylation was greater than that with a lower degree of tosylation, but was vice versa with a high benzene concentration. The benzenepermselectivity of the former TosCell membrane was higher than that of the latter membrane. Differences of the permeation rate and benzenepermselectivity with changes in the benzene concentration in the feed mixture and degree of tosylation of the TosCell membrane were significantly influenced by the degree of swelling of the TosCell membrane and the benzene concentration sorbed into the TosCell membrane. Mechanism of separation for the Bz/Chx mixtures through the TosCell membranes is discussed by the solution–diffusion model.     

Pervaporation of benzene/cyclohexane mixtures using ion-exchange membrane containing copper ions

The sorption, diffusion, and pervaporation (PV) properties of benzene/cyclohexane (Bz/Cx) mixtures on cation-exchange membranes containing copper ions (Cu(II)) were investigated. The equilibrium sorption isotherms of pure vapors in the membranes and the partial solubility of binary solutions in the membranes were described using the UNIQUAC model. The τ_iM and τ_Mi values were 0.978 and 0.591 for Bz, and 0.922 and 0.475 for Cx. The transient regimes of vapor sorption were employed to calculate the concentration-dependent diffusion coefficients. Long’s model sufficiently explained the diffusivity of Bz and Cx in the membranes. The pre-exponential factors were 3×10⁻¹³ m²/s and the plasticization factors were 3.0 and 3.6 for Bz and Cx, respectively. Excellent agreement was found with the experimental results applying the solubility and diffusivity data to simulate the pervaporation performance (flux and selectivity) using the modified Maxwell–Stefan equation. The membrane containing Cu(II) demonstrates better facilitating capability for Bz transport than that with Na(I), mainly due to its preferential sorption property toward Bz. Replacing Na(I) with Cu(II) into a Neosepta membrane resulted in better separation efficiency and higher Bz flux throughout the entire Bz concentration range.     

Selective hydrogenation of benzene to cyclohexene over Ce-promoted Ru catalysts

Ru-Ce catalysts were prepared by a co-precipitation method.The effects of Ce precursors with different valences and Ce contents on the catalytic performance of Ru-Ce catalysts were investigated in the presence of ZnSO4.The Ce species in the catalysts prepared with different valences of the Ce precursors all exist as CeO2 on the Ru surface.The promoter CeO2alone could not improve the selectivity to cyclohexene of Ru catalysts.However,almost all the CeO2 in the catalysts could react with the reaction modifier ZnSO4 to form(Zn(OH)2)3(ZnSO4)(H2O)3 salt.The amount of the chemisorbed salt increased with the CeO2 loading,resulting in the decrease of the activity and the increase of the selectivity to cyclohexene of Ru catalyst.The Ru-Ce catalyst with the optimum Ce/Ru molar ratio of 0.19 gave a maximum cyclohexene yield of 57.4%.Moreover,this catalyst had good stability and excellent reusability.     

Effect of permeation temperature on permeation and separation of a benzene/cyclohexane mixture through liquid-crystalline polymer membranes

When a benzene/cyclohexane mixture of 10 wt % benzene was permeated through side-chain liquid-crystalline polymer (LCP) membranes by pervaporation at various temperatures, the permeation rate increased with increasing permeation temperature. The LCP membranes also exhibited a benzene permselectivity. The permselectivity for the benzene/cyclohexane mixture through the LCP membrane was different in the glassy, liquid-crystalline, and isotropic states. The LCP membrane had different apparent activation energies for permeation at each state. LCP membrane in the liquid-crystalline state had the highest apparent activation energy of the three states. Results suggest that the benzene permselectivity was influenced by changes in the LCP membrane structure, i.e., a state-transformation. It was found that a balance of the orientation of mesogenic groups and the flexibility of the siloxane chains was very important for benzene permselectivity. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36 : 281–288, 1998     

Selective extraction and separation of cadmium using tri-n-octylamine

The extraction of cadmium by tri-n-octylamine in benzene and cyclohexane from a mixture of sulphuric acid and potassium bromide has been investigated in detail. The optimum conditions for the extraction and back-extraction of cadmium have been found. The procedure for the concentration of cadmium is described and the separation of cadmium in the presence of more than 30 metals including fission products is presented.     

Selective separation of magnolol using molecularly imprinted membranes

Molecularly imprinted membranes (MIMs) for selective separation of magnolol were prepared by thermal polymerization using magnolol as the template, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the cross‐linker, 2,2‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator, organic solvent as the porogen, methacrylamide (MAM) and acrylic acid (AA) as the functional monomers and cellulose acetate as the agglutinant. Commercial filter paper was used as the supporting material. The effects of different porogens and the ratio of functional monomers on the binding and recognition capacity of MIMs were investigated, and the morphology of the membranes was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the MIMs have the highest selectivity to magnolol when the ratio of MAM/AA was 1:4 and tetrahydrofuran (THF) with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was used as the porogen. The morphology of the imprinted membranes after template extracting is much rougher with big cavities than that of the non‐imprinted membranes (NIMs) and the imprinted membranes before template extracting. The MIMs can selectively separate the magnolol.     

A highly efficient oxidation of cyclohexane over VPO catalysts using hydrogen peroxide

A highly efficient oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone is accomplished over calcined vanadium phosphorus oxide (VPO) catalysts in a relatively mild condition using hydrogen peroxide under a nitrogen atmosphere.     

Immersion enthalpy of benzene/cyclohexane and toluene/cyclohexane binary mixtures into modified activated carbons

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - The interaction between binary mixtures of benzene/cyclohexane and toluene/cyclohexane into three activated carbons with different physical and...     

Raman study of vibrational relaxation of cyclohexane in benzene solutions

The Raman profiles of the ν₅ mode (802 cm^?1) of cyclohexane, ν₅ (723 cm^?1) of cyclohexane-_d12 and ν₂ (992 cm^?1) of benzene and its deuterated analogs have been measured as a function of concentration in the benzene—cyclohexane liquid system. The vibrational time correlation functions of cyclohexane in benzene solutions have been calculated by Fourier inversion of isotropic band contours. The concentration dependence of the experimental vibrational correlation times computed from the correlation functions and from the half width at half height have been compared with that predicted theoretically for various mechanisms of band broadening. We have tested the Fischer—Laubereau dephasing model and the Knapp—Fischer concentration-fluctuation model. We have found that the latter model reproduces well experimental data only for the ν₂ mode of benzene in solution.     

Interaction of cyclopentane with benzene,carbon tetrachloride and cyclohexane

Heats of mixing cyclopentane + benzene, + carbon tetrachloride, + cyclohexane at 308.15 K and for cyclohexane + carbon tetrachloride at 298.15 K have been determined in an adiabatic calorimeter. The data have been examined for current theories (McGlashan, Flory and Barker) of solutions and show that McGlashan's theory predicts values for H^E and G^E that are in good agreement with their corresponding experimental values. Interaction energy between the components of these mixtures has also been determined.     

Excess enthalpies of 2-propanol + cyclohexane and 2-propanol + benzene + cyclohexane at 298.15 K

With an isothermal dilution calorimeter excess enthalpies have been determined at 298.15 K for 2-propanol + cyclohexane and 2-propanol + benzene + cyclohexane mixtures. The results are fitted with an associated-solution model. Predicted excess enthalpies for the ternary mixture agree well with the experimental results.     

Carrier-free separation of22Na from MgO matrix using liquid-liquid extraction with HDEHP in cyclohexane

A radiochemical procedure for separation of carrier-free²²Na from bulk of Mg is described. The method involves the initial removal of bulk of Mg as Mg(OH)₂ by means of ammonia followed by separation of the last traces of Mg by means of extraction with a cationic liquid exchanger, di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (HDEHP) in cyclohexane.     

Transformations of cyclohexane and benzene on the bimetallic Ru-Pt oxide catalysts

The bimetallic Ru-Pt/Al₂O₃ catalysts with an overall metal content of 1 wt. % and Pt: Ru weight ratios from 1: 3 to 3: 1 were studied. The catalytic activity for cyclohexane and benzene transformations, including hydrogenation, hydrogenolysis, and skeletal isomerization of the initial substrates and products of intermediate transformations, was studied at temperatures 180–350 °C and H₂ pressures from 1.0 to 5.0 MPa. The maximum yield of n-hexane from cyclohexane and benzene was obtained on the catalysts with a ruthenium content of 0.75–1.0%, being ∼29–30 wt.% at 40% selectivity. The selectivity to form n-hexane decreases with an increase in the cyclohexane conversion and is almost independent of the composition of the Ru-Pt system. On the catalysts under study, benzene is converted to the same products but at temperatures by 60 °C lower as compared to cyclohexane conversion. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 633–637, April, 2006.     

Co-APO-5分子筛催化的环己烷选择氧化:溶剂和改性方法对其催化性能的影响

通过合成改性制备了系列Co-APO-5分子筛催化剂,用于环己烷选择氧化,研究了溶剂和改性方法对其催化性能的影响。结果表明,含有π键的极性溶剂对环己烷选择氧化反应有利,环己烷转化率随着π键极性的增加而提高。引入Si和F降低了Co-APO-5分子筛骨架中四配位钴的含量;引入F后Co-APO-5分子筛的结晶度有所提高,而引入Si则能改善Co物种的氧化和还原性,提升其催化反应活性。同时,Co-APO-5的催化活性与其骨架中四配位Co（Ⅱ）的含量相关,说明骨架Co（Ⅱ）是环己烷选择氧化的催化活性中心。     

Microheterogeneity of benzene solutions of cyclohexane, 1,4-dioxane,and morpholine

Data obtained in molecular light scattering, adiabatic compressibility, and molar volume studies of benzene solutions of cyclohexane, 1,4-dioxane, and morpholine were used to suggest a model of the structure of these solutions and show that microheterogeneity of solutions was caused by the presence of agglomerates comprising benzene molecules in the benzene-cyclohexane system and conglomerates including heteromolecular interactions in the other systems.