Europium(III) permeation through a flat sheet supported liquid membrane containing CMPO with iso-decanol phase modifier: Experimental and modeling studies

Abstract

The permeation of Eu3+ ion across a microporous polymeric membrane impregnated with n-octyl(phenyl)-N,N-di-isobutylcarbamoyl methyl phosphine oxide (CMPO) was investigated from a nitric acid feed into a receiver phase of distilled water. A combination of 0.2M CMPO in 5% iso-decanol+95% n-dodecane was chosen as the carrier solvent. Here, iso-decanol has a dual role; acts as a phase modifier to avoid third phase formation, and minimizes the acid co-transport. The transport of Eu3+ was mainly driven by its distribution ratio by CMPO at the feed–membrane interface (extraction) and membrane–receiver interface (stripping). The effect of various experimental parameters such as feed acidity, nitrate ion concentration, and ligand concentration on permeation of Eu3+ was investigated. Effect of various stripping solutions was also studied to optimize the permeation efficiency of Eu3+ ions. A mathematical model was derived for predicting the mass transfer from feed phase to the receiver phase through the membrane. The results obtained by the calculations were subsequently validated through the experimental results.