ENHANCED PERMEATION OF HYDROCARBONS THROUGH LIQUID MEMBRANES BY LIPOPHILIC SURFACTANTS

Abstract

Batch extraction experiments on liquid membrane permeation were conducted in a stirring vessel to separate aromatics from five-component hydrocarbon mixtures in the presence of lipophilic surfactants added in solvent phase. The lipophilic surfactants served to make emulsion drops smaller and enhanced the permeation rates of each permeate greatly. As the results of the use of a lipophilic surfactant, both a benzene yield of 98 % and a separation factor of 210 for benzene in reference to n-hexane were obtained at 1.5 minutes.