Removal of-Copper Ions-from Aqueous Solution Using Liquid-Surfactant-Membrane Technique

Abstract

Extraction of copper (Cu) from aqueous solution utilizing Liquid Membrane technology (LM) is more effective than precipitation method that forms sludge and must be disposed of in landfills. In this work, we have formulated a liquid surfactant membrane (LSM) that uses kerosene oil as the main diluent of LSM to remove copper ions from the aqueous waste solution through di- (2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid - D2EHPA- as a carrier. This technique displays several advantages including one-stage extraction and stripping process, simple operation, low energy requirement, and. In this study, the LSM process was used to transport Cu (II) ions from the feed phase to the stripping phase, which was prepared, using H2SO4. For LSM process, various parameters have been studied such as carrier concentration; treat ratio (TR), agitating speed and initial feed concentration. After finding the optimum parameters, it was possible to extract Cu up to 95% from the aqueous feed phase in a single stage extraction.