No abstract

Phase diagrams of aqueous two-phase systems composed of poly(ethylene) glycol (PEG) 1500, lithium sulfate, or magnesium sulfate were determined at (283.15, 298.15, and 313.15) K and of PEG 1500 + sodium sulfate were obtained at (278.15, 298.15, 305.65, and 313.15) K. The temperature effect on the position of the binodal curves was negligible, indicating a small enthalpic contribution to the phase separation process. The ability of the three salts to induce the formation of a biphasic system with PEG 1500 followed the order MgSO 4 > Na 2 SO 4 > Li 2 SO 4 .

Partition of the natural dye carmine has been studied in aqueous two-phase systems prepared by mixing aqueous solutions of polymer or copolymer with aqueous salt solutions (Na(2)SO(4) and Li(2)SO(4)). The carmine dye partition coefficient was investigated as a function of system pH, polymer molar mass, hydrophobicity, system tie-line length and nature of the electrolyte. It has been observed that the carmine partition coefficient is highly dependent on the electrolyte nature and pH of the system, reaching values as high as 300, indicating the high potential of the two-phase extraction with ATPS in the purification of carmine dye. The partition relative order was Li(2)SO(4)"Na(2)SO(4). Carmine molecules were concentrated in the polymer-rich phase, indicating an enthalpic specific interaction between carmine and the pseudopolycation, which is formed by cation adsorption along the macromolecule chain. When the enthalpic carmine-pseudopolycation interaction decreases, entropic forces dominate the natural dye-transfer process, and the carmine partitioning coefficient decreases. The optimization of the extraction process was obtained by a central composite face-centered (CCF) design. The CCF design was used to evaluate the influence of Li(2)SO(4) and PEO 1500 concentration and of the pH on the partition coefficient of carmine. The conditions that maximize the partition of carmine into the top phase were determined to be high concentrations of PEO and Li(2)SO(4) and low pH values within the ranges studied.

Ions are known to concentrate in the salt-enriched phase of aqueous two-phase systems, with the only known exception being the pertechnetate anion, TcO(4)(-). We have discovered a second ion, nitroprusside anion (NP), which is markedly transferred from the salt phase to the polymer phase. The partitioning behavior of [Fe(CN)(5)NO](2-) anion was investigated in ATPS formed by poly(ethylene oxide) of molar mass 3350 and 35000 g mol(-1), and different sulfate salts (Na(2)SO(4), Li(2)SO(4), and MgSO(4)). On the basis of a model, the nitroprusside high affinity for the macromolecular phase was attributed to an enthalpic specific interaction between the anion and ethylene oxide unit. Partition coefficients increased exponentially with tie-line length increase, reaching values as high as 1000 and showing a relationship very dependent on the salt nature, but independent of the polymer molar mass.

a b s t r a c tThe separation of Cd and Ni from Ni-Cd batteries using an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) composed of copolymer L35, Li 2 SO 4 and water is investigated. The extraction behavior of these metals from the bottom phase (BP) to the upper phase (UP) of the ATPS is affected by the amount of added extractant (potassium iodide), tie-line length (TLL), mass ratio between the phases of the ATPS, leaching and dilution factor of the battery samples. Maximum extraction of Cd (99.2 ± 3.1)% and Ni (10.6 ± 0.4)% is obtained when the batteries are leached with HCl, under the following conditions: 62.53% (w/w) TLL, concentration of KI equal to 50.00 mmol kg −1 , mass ratio of the phases equal to 0.5 and a dilution factor of battery samples of 35. This novel methodology is efficient to separate the metals in question, with the advantage of being environmentally safe, since water is the main constituent of the ATPS, which is prepared with recyclable and biodegradable compounds.