Modeling of the Permeation of Copper through Liquid Surfactant Membranes

Abstract

A general permeation model for the extraction of copper by liquid surfactant membranes using a chelating agent as a carrier is presented in which the internal mass transfer in the W/O emulsion drop, the external mass transfer around the drop, the rates of the formation and decomposition of the complex at the aqueous-organic interface, and the leakage of the internal aqueous phase to the external phase due to the membrane breakup are taken into account. The batch extraction of copper using SME529 as a carrier was carried out under various experimental conditions. It is shown that the extraction rates can be satisfactorily simulated by the present model.