Chapter 7 Liquid membranes (liquid pertraction). Membrane Separations Technology - Principles and Applications. Elsevier; 1995. pp. 283-352. [DOI: 10.1016/s0927-5193(06)80009-4]

Chromium (III) Ions Were Extracted from Wastewater Effluent Using a Synergistic Green Membrane with a BinaryCombination of D2EHPA and Kerosene

This study used a supported liquid membrane system (SLM) using Celgard 2400 polypropylene as the support, di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) as the carrier, and kerosene as the diluent. To obtain the best carrier concentration, D2EHPA concentrations between 0.04 and 0.6 M were used. The Cr (III) solutions used in the feed phase had various ionic strengths and were adjusted with NaCl at concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 1.75 M. To maintain a constant pH (4) in the feed phase, a 0.2 M acetic acid–sodium acetate buffer was utilized. Because the rate of Cr (III)-carrier complex formation at the interface of the feed solution and membrane increased up to 20 × 10−4 mol/L, it was discovered that transport of Cr (III) rose with an increase in chromium content in the feeding phase. For the optimization of the various stripping agents, HCl concentration was employed, from 0.25 M to 1.75 M. It was observed that Cr (III) transport increased with the increase in HCl concentration because the transport was at a pH gradient, which was the main driving force. Because of the fact that at the feed phase-membrane contact, D2EHPA combined with chromium ions to form the Cr (III)-carrier complex and released H+ protons, in the feed phase, the Cr (III)-carrier complex was diffused into a stripping phase, wherein Cr (III) ions were stripped and the carrier was reversibly protonated again.

Unique transport behaviour of Am(III)/Eu(III) ions across a supported liquid membrane containing a TREN-based diglycolamide dendrimer ligand

Appropriately functionalized dendrimers are exotic ligands and are expected to give rise to better extraction/transport results than the corresponding monofunctional ones. Diglycolamide- (DGA) based dendrimers and their transport studies are rarely reported. Transport of Am(III) and Eu(III) was studied across a PTFE- (polytetrafluoroethylene) based flat sheet supported liquid membrane containing a tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TREN) dendrimer ligand containing six DGA pendent arms (termed as TREN-G1-DGA) in 5% isodecanol modified n-dodecane. The transport results were compared with those of the monofunctional ligand TODGA (N,N,N′,N′-tetra-n-octyl diglycolamide). In case of a 5.75 × 10−4 M TREN-G1-DGA solution, Am(III) transport was slower than that of Eu(III) under identical conditions. In case of TREN-G1-DGA the role of acid on the metal ion transport was less important than that while using TODGA as a carrier. However, a nitric acid medium is much more suitable for metal ion transport than a mixture containing sodium nitrate as the major component. Insight into the extraction and transport of the Eu(III) complexes was obtained from luminescence spectroscopic studies.

Removal of emerging contaminants by emulsion liquid membrane: perspective and challenges

Emerging contaminants (ECs) originated from different agricultural, biological, chemical, and pharmaceutical sectors have been detected in our water sources for many years. Several technologies are employed to minimise EC content in the aqueous phase, including solvent extraction processes, but there is not a solution commonly accepted yet. One of the studied alternatives is based on separation processes of emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) that benefit low solvent inventory and energy needs. However, a better understanding of the process and factors influencing the operating conditions and the emulsion stability of the extraction/stripping process is crucial to enhancing ELM's performance. This article aims to describe the applications of this technique for the EC removal and to comprehensively review the ELM properties and characteristics, phase compositions, and process parameters.

Ionic liquid-assisted biphasic systems for downstream processing of fermentative enzymes and organic acids

Room-temperature ionic liquids (ILs) represent molten salts entirely consisting of ions, usually a charge-stabilized organic cation and an inorganic or organic anion. ILs are liquids at ambient temperature but possess characteristics unusual for the common liquid solvents, such as negligible vapor pressure, high thermal stability and most over the ability to mix and match libraries of cations and anions in order to acquire desirable physical and chemical properties [1]. The opportunity to obtain tunable density, viscosity, polarity and miscibility with common molecular liquids gave rise to a variety of applications of the ILs [2] as environmentally benign solvents, extractants or auxiliaries. In particular, numbers of innovations in the methods for recovery and purification of biologically derived compounds involve ILs used solo or partnered with other liquids in biphasic systems [3,4,5]. It should be noted that the ILs are not intrinsically greener than the traditional solvents, given that their production is usually more resource-demanding, but the inherent potential for recycling and reuse, and for prevention of chemical accidents gives the ILs advantages ahead.

The present chapter provides a state-of-the-art overview on the basic applications of the ILs in biphasic systems aimed at downstream processing of valuable fermentative products, enzymes and organic acids. Main industrially important enzymes, lipases and carbohydrases, are considered and a description of the IL-assisted aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) and the results obtained in view of enzyme yield and purity is made. ILs serve different functions in the ABS, main phase-segregating constituents (mostly in the IL/salt ABS) or adjuvants to the polymer/salt ABS. Enzyme isolation from the contaminant proteins present in the feedstock can be carried out either in the IL-rich or in the salt-rich phase of the ABS and for the reader’s convenience the two options are described separately. Discussion on the factors and parameters affecting the enzyme partitioning in the ABS with ILs guides the reader through the ways by which the interactions between the IL and the enzyme can be manipulated in favor of the enzyme purification through the choice of the ABS composition (IL, salt, pH) and the role of the water content and the IL-rich phase structure.

The second part of the chapter is dedicated to the recovery of fermentative organic acids. Mostly hydrophobic ILs have been engaged in the studies and the biphasic systems thereof are summarized. The systems are evaluated by the extraction efficiency and partition coefficient obtained. Factors and parameters affecting the extraction of organic acids by ILs are highlighted in a way to unravel the extraction mechanism. The choice of IL and pH determines the reactive mechanism and the ion exchange, while the water content and the IL phase structure play roles in physical extraction. Procedures undertaken to enhance the efficiency and to intensify the process of extraction are also looked over.

Finally, the experimental holes that need fill up in the future studies are marked. According to the author’s opinion an intense research with hydrophobic ILs is suggested as these ILs have been proved milder to the biological structures (both the microbial producer and the enzyme product), more effective in the organic acid recovery and suitable to perform “in situ” extraction. Extractive fermentation entails validation of ecological and toxicological characteristics of the ILs. The protocols for re-extraction of fermentative products separated by IL-assisted biphasic systems should be clearly settled along with the methods for ILs recycling and reuse. Novel more flexible approaches to process intensification can be implemented in order to adopt the separation by biphasic systems for use in industry.

Bulk liquid pertraction of NaCl from aqueous solution using carrier-mediated transport

In the present work, removal of NaCl using the bulk liquid membrane (BLM) technique has been investigated, using a simple apparatus for conducting the experiments. Variables investigated were volume ratio of donor phase (DP) to receptor phase (RP), presence of sequestering agent (SA) in RP, type of organic liquid membrane (LM), quantity of mobile carrier (MC) in the LM. Stirring speed and volume of LM were kept constant at 100 rpm and 130 ml, respectively. The mass transfer of NaCl was analysed based on kinetic laws of two consecutive irreversible first-order reactions, and kinetic parameters (k_1d, k_2m, k_2r, , t_max, , and ) for the transport of NaCl were investigated. The values obtained demonstrate that the process is diffusionally controlled. Results indicate that the membrane entrance and exit rate constants (k₁, k₂) increase with decreasing DP:RP ratio and with decrease in quantity of MC, and quantity of SA, and the presence of dichloroethane (DCE) is preferred to chloroform (CF) as LM.

Recovery of phenol from aqueous streams in hollow fiber modules

A setup with two parallel hollow-fiber modules was used to study the recovery of phenol from aqueous solutions. Cyanex 923, Amberlite LA-2, and trioctylamine (TOA) in aliphatic kerosene were used as carriers. A solution of 0.2 M NaOH was used for stripping. It was found that each of the studied carriers permitted the effective removal of phenol. Cyanex 923 showed the best performance, removing phenol in the shortest time and giving the highest fluxes and the highest mass-transfer coefficients. The maximum fluxes of phenol entering the receiving phase changed in the following ratio: Cyanex 923/Amberlite LA-2/TOA = 3.5/1.5/1. The mass-transfer coefficient in the extraction step changed in the same order: 34/5.2/1. The mass-transfer coefficients of the stripping step were 2-4 orders lower than in the extraction step and were comparable for each carrier: Cyanex 923/Amberlite LA-2/TOA = 1.1/0.7/1. Using Cyanex 923, only 5 min were needed to recover 99% of the pollutant from the aqueous stream, containing 0.5-2 g L(-1) phenol.