Optimization of process parameters using response surface methodology for the removal of phenol by emulsion liquid membrane

A Balasubramanian,S Venkatesan

doi:10.2478/v10026-012-0058-5

A Balasubramanian, S Venkatesan

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.2478/v10026-012-0058-5

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Journal: PJCT	Publication Date: Jan 1, 2012
Citations: 6	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli

Abstract

Optimization of process parameters using response surface methodology for the removal of phenol by emulsion liquid membrane Emulsion liquid membrane technique (ELM) was used for the extraction of phenol from synthetic and industrial effluents. In this study, the liquid membrane used for phenol removal was composed of kerosene as the solvent, Span-80 as the surfactant and Sodium hydroxide as an internal reagent. Statistical experimental design was applied for the optimization of process parameters for the removal of phenol by ELM. The effects of process parameters namely, Surfactant concentration, membrane or organic to internal phase ratio (M/I) and emulsion to an external phase ratio (E/E) on the removal of phenol were optimized using a response surface method. The optimum conditions for the extraction of phenol using Response surface methodology were: surfactant concentration - 4.1802%, M/I ratio: 0.9987(v/v), and E/E ratio: 0.4718 (v/v). Under the optimized condition the maximum phenol extraction was found to be 98.88% respectively.

Highlights

Phenol is a toxic substance and large amounts are presented in wastewaters which are generated from refineries, pharmaceutical and petrochemical operations and even in small quantities it is toxic to living organisms
The maximum phenol concentration for treated effluent is 1 ppm[1], while phenol concentration from the untreated industrial effluent can be in the range of 2.8–6900ppm
It is necessary to remove the phenol from industrial effluents before it is discharged into the water stream and a variety of treatment methods can be applied for phenol removal[1,2,3,4]

Summary

Introduction

Phenol is a toxic substance and large amounts are presented in wastewaters which are generated from refineries, pharmaceutical and petrochemical operations and even in small quantities it is toxic to living organisms. It is necessary to remove the phenol from industrial effluents before it is discharged into the water stream and a variety of treatment methods can be applied for phenol removal[1,2,3,4]. Popular among these are activated carbon adsorption, chemical oxidation, liquid membrane and biological treatment. Among the various wastewater treatment techniques, Liquid membrane (LM) separation provides a potentially powerful technique for effecting diverse separation operations. Li was the first to introduce ELM with the purpose of increasing the interfacial area to shorten the diffusion path[5,6,7,8,9]

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Results

Conclusion