Pervaporation separation of binary organic–aqueous liquid mixtures using cross‐linked PVA membranes. II. Phenol–water mixtures

The pervaporation separation of water‐phenol mixtures was carried out using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) cross‐linked membranes with low molecular weight poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) at 30, 40, and 50°C. The separation was concentrated on the second stage of the water‐selective process at which the phenol concentration could be 80 wt % of phenol. The high separation factor of αw/p, = 3580 for the PVA/PAA = 80/20 membrane was obtained for the phenol : water = 80 : 20 solution at 30°C.