Abstract
Styrene were extracted from mixtures of styrene and ethylbenzene using Cu(NO3)2 methanol solutions and metallic copper as extraction reagents. Extraction rates and extraction equilibria were measured. For the extraction experiments, oxygen dissolved in the methanol solution had to be removed. The effects on extraction ratios of ionic strength, mole fraction of water in the methanol solutions and the mole fraction of styrene in the feed oil phases were investigated. 13C NMR analysis showed the chemical shift caused by the complex formation between copper(I) ion and the vinyl group of styrene. Slope analysis suggested a styrene to copper(I) ion ratio of 1 : 1 in the complex.
