Role of surfactant in liquid surfactant membrane process

A series of derivatives of glutamic acid dialky 1 esters and dialky 1 quaternary ammonium salts were synthesized for the liquid surfactant membrane (LSM) process. Using newly synthesized surfactants, copper extraction by LSM containing anti-2-hydroxy-5-nonylbenzophenone oxime (HNBPO) as a carrier was carried out in a stirred cell. It was found that glutamic acid dioley 1 ester was a more suitable surfactant for the LSM process than Span 80 or polyamine as regards stability, swelling and demulsification of the W/O emulsion. Further, it was proved that the extraction rate of copper was increased by the addition of a small amount of new phosphoric or sulfonic acid surfactant to the liquid membrane phase.