SEPARATION OF ESTERS OF POLYUNSATURATED FATTY Acids BY BULK LIQUID MEMBRANE WITH A POROUS PARTITION

摘要

The 'bulk liquid membrane with porous partition (BLM)' was applied to the separation of esters of such polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) as eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) from a mixture of esters of fatty acids. By using 2 mol/dm~3 AgNO_3 aqueous solution as a membrane liquid, dodecane as a diluent and m-xylene as a recovery solution, esters of PUFA's were successfully separated from the mixture. The transfer experiments of ethyl ester of DHA were performed under various operating conditions. In comparison with the ordinary supported liquid membrane, the BLM has realized a stable operation, a high recovery ratio and a high throughput. The comparison of the recovery fractions for the porous and the nonporous partitions demonstrated the enhancement effect of 'bulk motion' of the membrane liquid on the solute transfer. The effect was quantitatively evaluated from the membrane transfer coefficient.