FACILITATED TRANSPORT OF HNO3THROUGH A SUPPORTED LIQUID MEMBRANE CONTAINING A TERTIARY AMINE AS CARRIER

Abstract

The facilitated transport of HN0₃ through a supported liquid membrane consisting of a porous polypropylene film containing a solution of trllaurylamine 1n diethyl benzene as carrier was studied as a function of the stirring speed of the aqueous solutions and the membrane composition. A physico-chemical model which takes Into account diffusion through an aqueous boundary layer, a fast Interfaclal chemical reaction leading to the formation of a membrane soluble alkylammonium salt and diffusion through the membrane was proposed. In this way, equations were derived which describe how composition changes, occurring In the course of the permeation process, Influence the membrane permeability. The experimental data were quantitatively explained by the derived equations. The results indicate that the monomerlc form of the trllaurylammonium nitrate salt 1s the species which 1s mainly responsible for the acid transport through the membrane. The diffusion coefficient of the permeating species and the order of magnitude of the thickness of the aqueous boundary layer were evaluated.