EMULSION LIQUID MEMBRANE EXTRACTION OF PHENOLICS FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATERS

PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS ARE THE PRIMARY WASTEWATER TREATMENT CHALLENGE FOUND IN THE AQUEOUS EFFUENTS FROM PETROLEUM REFINERIES, COAL CONVERSION PROCESSES, PETROCHEMICAL PRODUCTION, AND THE MANUFACTURE OF PHENOLS AND RELATED CHEMICALS. EMULSION LIQUID MEMBRANE (ELM) SEPARATIONS ARE ADEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY WITH HIGH POTENTIAL FOR COST-EFFECTIVEREMOVAL AND RECOVERY OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS. UNLIKE CURRENT TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES, ELM PROCESSES CAN ALMOST COMPLETELY REMOVE PHENOLICS, BOTH HIGH AND LOW CONCENTRATION FEED STREAMS, WHILE PRODUCING A CONCENTRATED SOLUTE LEVEL IN THE STRIPPING PHASE, SIMPLIFYING FINAL RECOVERY. FURTHER, ELM OFFERS INDEPENDENT CONTROL OVER THE SOLVENT OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS AND AFFINITY FOR PHENOL, ALLOWING THE DESIGNOF A MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE PROCESS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH PROGRAM IS TO EVALUATE THE TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF THE ELM PROCESS FOR TREATMENT OF INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER STREAMS. THE FINAL RESULT OF THE TWO-PHASE RESEARCH PROJECT WILL BE A PILOT-SCALE UNIT OPERATING ON ACTUAL PHENOLIC WASTEWATERS TO DETERMINE THE OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SYSTEM AND ACCURATELY ESTIMATE THE PROCESS ECONOMICS.