Individual and Combined Effects of the Extractant, Surfactant and Modifier Concentrations on the Droplet Coalescence Time of the Primary Emulsion in the Liquid Surfactant Membrane Extraction Process

Abstract

In this work, the individual and combined effects of the extractant, surfactant and modifier concentrations on the droplet coalescence time of the primary emulsion in the liquid surfactant membrane extraction process were evaluated, through emulsification experiments. Adogen 464 was used as extractant (carrier), and Escaid 110, as diluent. Two systems were studied. The first one composed by the extractant, the surfactant and the diluent, and the second one composed by the same reagents, but with the addition of 1-decanol as modifier. It was observed that, when the modifier is not present in the membrane phase, the surfactant not only stabilizes the primary emulsion, but, apparently, it also plays a role similar to that of the alcohol, promoting the solvation of the amine in a low polarity diluent. Furthermore, the extractant, a quaternary amine, helps to stabilize the primary emulsion in systems without a modifier. For membrane phases consisting of 1 or 5% w/w of Adogen 464 and 2 % or 5% w/w of ECA 4360, a concentration of 3% w/w of 1-decanol was sufficient to promote the solvation of Adogen 464 in Escaid 110 and to obtain a low droplet coalescence time.