Determining Kinetic Constants and Transport Efficiencies at Membrane Interfaces to Optimize the Removal/Recovery of Cu(II) through Lulk Liquid Membranes Containing Benzoylacetone as Carrier

Abstract

Copper is a naturally occurring metal, originating from the earth's crust, which is also found in both industrial and domestic anthropogenic discharges [1][2]. Due to its properties and variety of uses, copper is one of the most important industrial metals, ranking after iron and aluminium in importance for infrastructure and technology [3]. It is considered an energy-critical element due to its conductive properties and is classified as a scarce mineral, with only 60 years of expected Pol. J. Environ. Stud. Vol. 26, No. 6 (2017) AbstractThe removal, separation, and enrichment of heavy metals in aqueous solutions has become a prime concern over the last few decades because of both their adverse effects on the ecosystem and living organisms and their valuable resource character. This paper describes a study to optimize the simultaneous removal/ recovery of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions by bulk liquid membranes, through a facilitated countertransport mechanism using benzoylacetone as a mobile carrier and hydrochloric acid as a stripping agent (protons as counter ions), by analyzing the effect of different operational variables (carrier concentration in membrane phase, stripping agent concentration in product phase, stirring rate, and membrane phase volume) on the removal/recovery kinetics constants and on the transport efficiencies through the feed/membrane and membrane/product interfaces.