Extraction of Priority Pollutant 4-Nitrophenol from Water by Emulsion Liquid Membrane: Emulsion Stability, Effect of Operational Conditions and Membrane Reuse

Abstract

This work aims to the extraction of the priority pollutant 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) from water by emulsion liquid membrane (ELM). Liquid membrane consists of a diluent (hexane) and a surfactant (Span 80). Sodium carbonate solution was used as internal aqueous phase. Effects of important experimental conditions governing the stability of the W/O emulsion were investigated. Influence of operating parameters that affects the permeation of 4-NP such as surfactant concentration, emulsification time, sulfuric acid concentration in external phase, acid type in external phase, internal phase concentration, type of internal phase, stirring speed, volume ratio of internal phase to membrane phase, treatment ratio, 4-NP initial concentration, and diluent type was examined. This study also evaluated the effect of Na2CO3 concentration in the internal aqueous phase on the stripping of 4-NP. Additionally, the reuse of the recovered membrane was studied. Under most favorable conditions, practically all the 4-NP and aniline (AN) molecules present in the feed phase were extracted. The recovery of the membrane phase was total and the extraction of 4-NP was not decreased. The ELM treatment process represents a very interesting advanced separation process for the removal of 4-NP and AN from aqueous solutions.