Abstract—Cs-type nanocomposite zeolite membrane was successfully synthesized on an alumina ceramic hollow fibre with a mean outer diameter of 1.7 mm; cesium cationic exchange test was carried out inside test module with mean wall thickness of 230 μm and an average crossing pore size smaller than 0.2 μm. Separation factor of n-butane/H 2 obtained indicate that a relatively high quality closed to 20. Maxwell-Stefan modeling provides an equivalent thickness lower than 1 μm. To compare the difference an application to CO 2 /N 2 separation has been achieved, reaching separation factors close to (4,18) before and after cation exchange on H-zeolite membrane formed within the pores of a ceramic alumina substrate. Keywords—MFI membrane, nanocomposite, Ceramic hollow fibre, CO 2 , Ion-exchange. I. INTRODUCTION HE hollow fibres are a special case of symmetric support in the form of tubes of tens to hundreds of microns in outside diameter. These tubes can be extremely thin and not exceed in some cases the thickness of a human hair (diameter about 100 μm). Their inner diameter is variable, being of the order of half of the outer diameter for the finer fibres. The use of hollow fibre geometry has long been a solution to improve the performance in the membrane separation processes. In the liquid phase (water treatment), the hollow polymeric fibres are commonly used on an industrial scale. Similarly, in the gas separation, they are widely used in industry (for example refineries or production of ammonia). Their low cost, large ratios associated with surface/volume (>1000 m 2 /m 3 ) and compared with the monolithic multi-channel tubes (30-250 m 2 /m 3 and 130-400 m 2 /m 3 ), respectively [1] are in the configuration of choice for many membrane. Ceramic hollow fibres are one of the inorganic hollow fibres that have an asymmetric structure, which provides an improved permeability for a given thickness. In addition to their common use in many separation processes, they can also be used as support for the synthesis of composite membranes [2]. There are various methods to prepare hollow fibre ceramic materials, such as spinning coagulation [3], and spinning a solution containing ceramic powders [4]. Recently, the phase inversion method used to prepare polymeric hollow fibre was Y. Swesi and S. Mrayed are with the Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (e-mail: y.swesi@che.uot.edu.ly, smrayed@gmail.com). A. Alshebani and F. Altaher are with the Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sirte, P.O. Box 674, Sirte, Libya (e-mail: alshebani@yahoo.fr, f_taher68@yahoo.fr). I. Musbah is with the Petroleum Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sirte, P.O. Box 674, Sirte, Libya. successfully modified to prepare ceramic hollow fibres [5]. Due to its asserted role in the global climate change, the separation of carbon dioxide from gas emissions is one of the main challenges of membrane researchers and manufacturers at present. Carbon dioxide, caused mainly by emissions of fossil-fuel-related, rose at a rate of 80%, noting that the increase of carbon dioxide from 2011 to 2012 was greater than the average rate of increase over the past ten years [6]. The concentration of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere has reached unprecedented levels in the 800,000 the previous year. If the conditions continue like this, the global average temperature may rise by 4.6 degrees by the end of the century than it was the levels of pre-industrial era, and perhaps even more so in some parts of the world. The World Meteorological Organization-the United Nations - has indicated in a report released late last year, that the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has reached a new record in 2012, continuing the upward trend accelerated, which leads to climate change. There are other results show that the climate change has increased by 32% between 1990 and 2012 due to increased carbon dioxide and other gases retain heat and the long-term, such as methane and nitrous oxide [7]. Global warming continues to accelerate as it occupied in 2013 ranking sixth in the list of more years, increased in temperature. Most zeolite membranes have been implemented in carbon dioxide separation in single tubes, multichannel tubes and monoliths or planar geometries. Kusakabe et al. [8]- [10] have probably the best results reported using the faujasite type zeolite membranes (X and Y) for the separation of CO 2 from CO 2 /N 2 equimolar mixtures. These authors obtained CO 2 /N 2 separation factor of the order of 100 with pure CO2 permeance of about 0.2 mol.m -2 .s -1 .Pa -1 at 303K. The reference method for CO 2 capture is chemical absorption using amines [11]. The main disadvantage of this method is its high energy consumption due to the regeneration of the solvent [12]. Although the cellulose-based polymers, polyamides, polysulfones, polycarbonates and polyetherimides membranes have been widely used for the separation of carbon dioxide [13], their practical use is limited due to their low selectivity, between 20-50, and very low permeance of about 0.1-10 nmol.m -2 .Pa -1 .s -1 [14]. On the contrary polymeric membranes, inorganic membranes such as zeolite membranes were considered candidates alternative, because of their thermal stability, chemical and mechanical [15], [16] and mainly because of their much higher permeance. CO 2 separation of methane is also important. Methane can be obtained from various sources such as natural gas and biogas. Most of these sources produce a CH 4 rich mixture containing A. Alshebani, Y. Swesi, S. Mrayed, F. Altaher, I. Musbah Separation of CO 2 Using MFI-Alumina Nanocomposite Hollow Fiber Ion-Exchanged with Alkali Metal Cation T World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology International Journal of Chemical and Molecular Engineering Vol:8, No:9, 2014 942 International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 8(9) 2014 scholar.waset.org/1307-6892/9999292 International Science Index, Chemical and Molecular Engineering Vol:8, No:9, 2014 waset.org/Publication/9999292