PREDICTION OF BREAKTHROUGH CURVE OF METAL ION ON EXTRACTION CHROMATOGRAPHIC COLUMN

Abstract

ABSTRACT A mathematical model to predict the breakthrough curve of metal ion on an extraction chromatographic column was proposed. This model, which is the extension of that proposed in the previous paper (12), consists of the mass transfer equation of metal ion into a polymer gel impregnated with an extractant and the mass balance equation of chromatographic column. SDB (styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer) gels impregnated with CMP (dihexyl-N,N'-diethylcarbamoylmethylphosphonate), CMPO (octyl(phenyl)N,N'-diisobutylcarbamoylmethylphosphine oxide) and the equimolar mixture of CMP and CMPO were prepared. The column experiments for the extraction of Ce(III) from an aqueous solution containing nitrate ion were carried out. The predicted breakthrough curves of Ce(III) for the gels impregnated with CMP and the mixture of CMP and CMPO were in good agreement with the experimental ones. That for the gel impregnated with CMPO, however, overestimated the experimental data. This is due to adhesion among gel particles which is caused by the deliquescence of CMPO and not attributable to the mathematical model. These results suggest that the proposed model is applicable to the prediction of breakthrough curve and available as a design tool of extraction chromatographic column.