Pertraction of Co(II) through Novel Ultrasound Prepared Supported Liquid Membranes Containing D2EHPA. Optimization and Transport Parameters

Pertraction of Co(II) through novel supported liquid membranes prepared by ultrasound, using bis-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid as carrier, sulfuric acid as stripping agent and a counter-transport mechanism, is studied in this paper. Supported liquid membrane characterization through scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy shows the impregnation of the microporous polymer support by the membrane phase by the action of ultrasound. The effect on the initial flux of Co(II) of different experimental conditions is analyzed to optimize the transport process. At these optimal experimental conditions (feed phase pH 6, 0.5M sulfuric acid in product phase, carrier concentration 0.65M in membrane phase and stirring speed of 300 rpm in both phases) supported liquid membrane shows great stability. From the relation between the inverse of Co(II) initial permeability and the inverse of the square of carrier concentration in the membrane phase, in the optimized experimental conditions, the transport resistance due to diffusion through both the aqueous feed boundary layer (3.7576×10⁴ s·m^-1) and the membrane phase (1.1434×10¹⁰ s·m^-1), the thickness of the aqueous feed boundary layer (4.0206×10^{-6 m) and the diffusion coefficient of the Co(II)-carrier in the bulk membrane (4}.0490×10^-14 m²·s^-1) , have been determined.