A rapid microwave-assisted solvothermal La3+ ion exchange of NaA zeolite membranes for enhanced performance of ethanol dehydration

A microwave-assisted solvothermal method was developed to achieve La 3+ exchange in NaA zeolite membranes for enhanced ethanol dehydration via pervaporation. Traditional ion-exchange processes are time-consuming and risk structural degradation, whereas the proposed approach utilizes alcohol-based solvents under microwave irradiation to accelerate ion exchange while preserving membrane integrity. By optimizing solvent selection (isopropanol) and La 3+ concentration (0.04–0.05 mol L −1 ), the modified La-LTA membrane exhibited simultaneous improvements in water flux (up to 12.78 % increase) and separation factor (up to 227 % enhancement), particularly in low-water-content systems. Characterization via SEM, XRD, and XPS confirmed retained crystallinity and successful La 3+ incorporation (35.42 % exchange degree). The method's universality was validated by exchanging other ions (Li + , Cu 2+ , Nd 3+ ), with Li-LTA and Nd-LTA membranes also showing dual performance enhancements. This work provides an energy-efficient, scalable strategy to tailor zeolite membranes for industrial dehydration applications.