Permeability of phenol through cellulose acetate membranes by reverse osmosis in various alcoholic systems

Reverse osmosis separation of phenol in various alcoholic solutions using porous cellulose acetate membranes was investigated. The permeation behavior of phenol was measured for cellulose acetate membranes having various pore size distributions which were prepared by annealing at four different temperatures. Some differences were found between the aqueous and the alcoholic solutions in solute permeabilities and product rates. Membranes annealed at 90°C showed higher permselectivity than membranes annealed at lower temperatures. The pore character was classified into two types according to the relation of the product rate of 1‐propanol and that of water. It was found in a series of alcoholic solutions that the permeability of phenol, the product rate, and the apparent partition coefficient are closely related to the carbon number of the alcohols, but the values of Jv × η (ca. 1.25 × 10−4 poise·m3/m2·day) and of the permselectivity coefficient (ca. 0.83) remain constant. The result was analyzed by using the three‐dimensional solubility parameter to obtain some information for the partition mechanism of solutes in aqueous and alcoholic solutions.