The toxicological effects of arsenic in water has led to an exponential rise in scientific research for its removal in the past few decades. However, there are several separation techniques for removal of arsenic from water; liquid membrane based separation technique is being studied for its selective and high separation factor. Further, in this method, the target element can be extracted and recovered simultaneously in a single step. In this research work, removal of arsenic for purification of water is carried out by flat sheet supported liquid membrane (FSSLM) technique.  The supported liquid membrane separation technique consists of an immiscible organic phase placed in between two aqueous phases (feed and receiving phases). The organic phase is usually a mixture of chemical solvents and extractants. In order to reduce the level of toxicity, the organic chemical solvents are replaced by environmentally benign diluent such as vegetable oils in this research. The extractants under study include n-methyl-n,n,n-trioctylammonium chloride (Aliquat), di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), tributyl phosphate (TBP) and tri-n-octylamine (TOA).  Based on the two-phase equilibrium study, sesame oil (solvent) and Aliquat (extractant) combination is selected for the study to enhance the transport of solute (arsenic ions) from the feed phase to the receiving phase through the solvent-extractant pair acting as the intermediate organic membrane phase.  In this study, arsenic is removed using a unique combination of sesame oil and Aliquat to make the process environment friendly. The optimum operating conditions are studied through variation in parameters such as extractant concentration, receiving phase concentration and pH on extraction and recovery of arsenic ions. Further, a mathematical model is developed for simulating the solute transport mechanism through liquid membrane that can be used for performing initial calculations for any scalability measures.

Supported liquid membrane based separation technique for arsenic removal from water

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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