Recovering e.g. copper or cyanide from aq. soln. - using a liq. membrane process comprising contact with an emulsion having an aq. inner phase and a hydrophobic outer phase

摘要

The process consists of putting the aq. soln. in contact with an emulsion comprising an inner aq. phase composed of droplets surrounded by a hydrophobic outer phase which is immiscible with the aq. soln. and permeable to the substance to the sepd. The inner aq. phase includes a component capable of rendering the substance to be sepd. non-permeable. Thus the substance to be sepd. crosses the outer phase and is then rendered non-permeable in the inner phase, hence depriving the aq. soln. of the substance. The aq. soln. is then sepd. from the emulsion and the droplets of the inner phase are amalgamated by an electrostatic field. The process can be used for the sepn. of copper from soln. It can also be used to recuperate other anionic substances in soln. such as cyanides, nitrates, sulphates and chlorides. Metallic complexes such as UO2(SO4)3, CuCl2, CuCl3, ZnCl3, FeCl3 and FeCl4 can be sepd. in this way. Hence it can be used for removing cyanide ions from water.