Copper recovery from model chloride solution using polymer inclusion membranes with 1-decyl-2,4-dimethylimidazle

Abstract

The recovery of Cu(II) ions from chloride solutions by the transport of a binary Cu(II)-Zn(II) and Cu(II)-Cd(II), and a ternary Cu(II)-Zn(II)-Cd(II) mixture ions through inclusion membranes doped with 1-decyl-2,4-dimethylimidazole (DDMI) was studied (cM(II) = 0.001 M; pH 5.5). The efficiency of metal ions separation by DDMI increased as: Cu(II) > Zn(II) > Cd(II). Selectivity coefficients Cu(II)/Zn(II) and Cu(II)/Cd(II) were equal 1.5 and 13.5, respectively for binary solutions and 1.6 and 27.7 for ternary solution. The step limiting the rate of transport of metal ions by PIM doped with DDMI may be membrane diffusion coefficients of cation complexes with DDMI. The recovery factor of Cu(II), Zn(II), and Cd(II) ions during transport across PIMs from an equimolar mixture of cations after 24 hrs was above 96%, 60% and 3.5% for Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II), respectively. PIM containing DDMI are stable for 120 hrs.