Extraction of Zn (II) ions in an polypropylene glycol 425 - sodium chloride - water aqueous two-phase system

Liquid-liquid extraction is one of the most used separation methods in chemical technology for recovery and separation of metal ions, other inorganic and organic substances. It is known that for extraction of Zn(II) the most frequently used extractants are D2EHPA, Aliquat 336, etc., diluted in an organic solvent. The use of these reagents does not meet the principles of “green” chemistry. Thus, in the present work, the extraction system based on polypropylene glycol 425 and sodium chloride for the extraction of Zn(II) ions from aqueous solutions is proposed. Equilibrium values of the distribution coefficient in the proposed aqueous two-phase system have been determined. Dependence of metal distribution coefficient on time of phase contact is obtained, time to reach equilibrium was 10 minutes. The isotherm of Zn(II) extraction obtained in the proposed system is a straight line, which indicates the independence of the distribution coefficient from the initial concentration of metal in the solution. The received experimental data can be used at the creation of “green” schemes of processing of Ni-MH batteries.

Liquid membranes for separation of metal ions from wastewaters

The paper reviews application of various liquid membranes (LM), particularly of emulsion and supported liquid membranes, for metal separation from model and industrial wastewaters. A variety of carriers and separation systems is shown. Not only model solutions on a laboratory scale are presented but also some examples of real wastewater separation with LM are reported.

Preparation of flexible electrospun AOPAN/PVDF membranes for removing Pb2+ from water

Electrospun AOPAN/PVDF composite nanofiber membranes for metal ions treatment have been prepared by coaxial electrospinning. AOPAN shell layer was modified chemically for adsorbing metal ions by chelation, whereas the chemically stable PVDF inner core was for maintaining mechanical stability. Polymer concentration and applied voltage had obvious influence on the characteristics of the fibers’ structure, morphology and strength. The amidoxime reaction was sensitive to the pH value of solution, and it was found that the alkaline condition hindered the reaction. The characterization by SEM, FTIR and XRD showed that the AOPAN/PVDF membrane retained the core–shell structure integrity after chemical modification. In the static and dynamic adsorption experiments, the mechanical strength of the AOPAN/PVDF membrane did not change obviously within 5 cycles of adsorption and regeneration. In addition, the AOPAN/PVDF membranes showed a certain level of efficiency in removal of Pb2+ in aqueous solution; the adsorption capacities of the membranes in the 5th run were higher than 45% of the adsorption of the corresponding fresh membranes. The work provides a potential approach for preparing membranes having good feasibility for practical application in adsorption separation of metal ions. Graphical Abstract

Application of Hydrophobic Alkylimidazoles in the Separation of Non-Ferrous Metal Ions across Plasticised Membranes—A Review

Currently, a lot of attention is paid to polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs). Their particular advantages include effective support fixation, easy preparation, versatility, stability, good mechanical properties and good chemical resistance. The paper presents a review of the literature related to the applications of polymer inclusion membranes containing alkylimidazole derivatives as carriers in the processes of transporting ions of heavy and toxic metals, such as Zn(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Mn(II). It has been proven that alkylimidazoles exhibit varying complex-forming properties towards metal ions, and that their properties (hydrophobic and alkaline) can be modified easily by changing the size of the alkyl group and its position in the imidazole ring, which allows obtaining efficiently working metal ion carriers. The stability of an imidazole derivative-metal ion complex determines the speed and selectivity of the process of transporting metal ions across polymer inclusion membranes. Also, the morphological structure of polymer inclusion membranes impacts the efficiency of the process involving the release and separation of metal ions.

Review on the Comparison of the Chemical Reactivity of Cyanex 272, Cyanex 301 and Cyanex 302 for Their Application to Metal Separation from Acid Media

Cyanex extractants, such as Cyanex 272, Cyanex 301, and Cyanex 302 have been commercialized and widely used in the extraction and separation of metal ions in hydrometallurgy. Since Cyanex 301 and Cyanex 302 are the derivatives of Cyanex 272, these extractants have similar functional groups. In order to understand the different extraction behaviors of these extractants, an understanding of the relationship between their structure and reactivity is important. We reviewed the physicochemical properties of these extractants, such as their solubility in water, polymerization degree, acidity strength, extraction performance of metal ions, and the interaction with diluent and other extractants on the basis of their chemical structure. Synthetic methods for these extractants were also introduced. This information is of great value in the synthesis of new kinds of extractants for the extraction of metals from a diverse medium. From the literature, the extraction and stripping characteristics of metals by Cyanex 272 and its derivatives from inorganic acids such as HCl, H2SO4, and HNO3 were also reviewed. The replacement of oxygen with sulfur in the functional groups (P = O to P = S group) has two opposing effects. One is to enhance their acidity and extractability due to an increase in the stability of metal complexes, and the other is to make the stripping of metals from the loaded Cyanex 301 difficult.