A novel separation technique based on the selectivity of a liquid membrane composed of surfactants and water is described.T h e permeation mechanism is discussed in terms of surfactant concentration, surfactant structure and chain length, the nature of permeate, and the solubility of permeate in water.A novel separation technique using liquid surfactant membranes has been discovered (1) which i s effective in separating hydrocarbons of different kinds, including those similar in their physical and chemical properties. membrane, i s a film composed of surfactants and their A liquid surfactant membrane, or abbreviated as liquid

A novel separation technique based on selective permeation through liquid surfactant membranes was developed for separations of hydrocarbons (as well as aqueous solutions).An emusion-treating technique and a method of using membrane-strengthening agent with surfactants before making the emulsion are very effective in generating a stable emulsion having liquid membranes of high selectivity and very large surface area.Such an emulsion can be intensively mixed with wash solvent without drop breakup and solvent emulsification. Historical background, some possible process schemes, and the unique features of this technique and its comparison with extraction are described. The permeation and separation mechanisms are discussed in terms of the effects of temperature, membrane additives, solvent-emulsion mixing intensity, and the nature and composition of feed and surfactant solution.Liquid membrane permeation is a novel separation technique which gets its selectivity from the relative diffusion rates of feed components through a liquid surfactant membrane surrounding a droplet of the feed. It gives nearly perfect membrane selectivity for many hydrocarbons.

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