Transport of Europium(III) through Supported Liquid Membrane Containing Diisodecylphosphoric Acid

Abstract
Carrier mediated transport of europium has been investigated by the use of a flat-sheet membrane impregnated with diisodecylphosphoric acid (DIDPA). The addition of 1-octanol to the membrane improves the stripping process, and hence europium can be quantitatively transported from the feed solution of 0.1 M HNO3 into the product solution of 5 M HNO3. Its concentration in the feed solution decreases as [Eu] f,t = [Eu] f,0 exp (-k obs t). The apparent rate constant (k obs) increases with increasing carrier concentration and becomes nearly constant above 0.05 M DIDPA The europium flux is proportional to initial europium concentrations less than 10−3 M, and becomes constant at high concentrations.