Patent ID: 8540800

Claim:
A method for making a microporous inorganic UZM-5 zeolite membrane by in-situ crystallization of a continuous single layer or continuous multiple layers of UZM-5 zeolite crystals on a porous membrane support comprising the steps of: (a) providing a porous inorganic membrane support; (b) synthesizing an aqueous UZM-5 zeolite-forming gel by combining reactive sources of R, aluminum (Al), optionally E and/or M and silicon (Si) in aqueous media wherein the composition of R, Al, E, M, Si, and O in terms of mole ratios of the elements is: M m n+ R r p+ Al (1-x) E x Si y O z where M is at least one exchangeable cation selected from the group consisting of alkali and alkaline earth metals, “m” is the mole ratio of M to (Al+E) and varies from 0 to about 1.2, R is a nitrogen-containing organic cation selected from the group consisting of protonated amines, protonated diamines, protonated alkanolamines, quaternary ammonium ions, diquaternaryammonium ions, quaternized alkanolamines and mixtures thereof, “r” is the mole ratio of R to (Al+E) and has a value of about 0.25 to about 3.0, E is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ga, Fe, Cr, In and B, “x” is the mole fraction of E and varies from 0 to about 0.5, “n” is the weighted average valence of M and has a value of about +1 to about +2, “p” is the weighted average valence of R and has a value of +1 to about +2, “y” is the mole ratio of Si to (Al+E) and varies from about 5 to about 12 and “z” is the mole ratio of O to (Al+E) and has a value determined by the equation: z =( m•n+r•p+ 3+4 •y )/2; (c) aging the UZM-5 zeolite-forming gel at 25° to 100° C. for 1 to 120 hours to produce an aged UZM-5 zeolite-forming gel; (d) contacting at least one surface of the porous inorganic membrane support with the aged UZM-5 zeolite-forming gel; (e) heating the porous inorganic membrane support and the aged UZM-5 zeolite-forming gel to form a continuous layer of UZM-5 zeolite crystals on at least one surface of the porous inorganic membrane support or inside the pores of the porous inorganic membrane support to produce a UZM-5 zeolite membrane; (f) calcining the resulting inorganic UZM-5 zeolite membrane at high temperature in a range of 400° to 600° C. to form a microporous inorganic UZM-5 zeolite membrane; and (g) coating the whole surface or part of the surface of said layer of UZM-5 zeolite crystals of the said microporous inorganic UZM-5 zeolite membrane with a thin layer of high flux polymer material selected from the group consisting of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a polybenzoxazole, a polymer with intrinsic microporosity, or a mixture thereof; wherein the microporous inorganic UZM-5 zeolite membrane comprises at least 95% UZM-5 zeolites.