WASTEWATER PURIFICATION VIA IMPELLER FLUIDIZED MICROEMULSION LIQUID MEMBRANES

THE APPLICATION OF IMPELLER FLUIDIZED MICROEMULSION LIQUID MEMBRANES TO THE SEPARATION OF CONTAMINANTS SUCH AS HEAVY METALS AND ORGANICS FROM WASTEWATER IS PROPOSED. THE IMPELLER FLUIDIZER DEVELOPED BY HELIPUMP CORPORATION IS A SELF-PUMPING, DURABLE, AND INEXPENSIVE FLUIDIZER DESIGN WHICH PROVIDES HIGHER MASS TRANSFER AND THROUGHPUT RATES THAN TYPICAL FLUIDIZERS. LIQUID MEMBRANES HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED PREVIOUSLY FOR THE SEPARATION OF METALS (CU, U, CO, NI, ZN), ORGANICS (ACETIC ACID, PHENOL), AND RECENTLY AMINO ACIDS (PHENYLALANINE) FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS. THE RESEARCHERS PROPOSE TO EMPLOY A LIQUID MEMBRANE IN AN IMPELLER FLUIDIZER TO PURIFY WASTEWATER OF PROTOTYPICAL CONTAIMINANTS (PHENOL, AMMONIA, COPPER AND MERCURY). IN ADDITION, MICROEMULSIONS WILL BE USED INSTEAD OF COARSE EMULSIONS IN FORMULATING THE LIQUID MEMBRANE DUE TO THEIR INHERENT ADVANTAGES. THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS OF THE TECHNIQUE WILL RESULT IN REDUCED WASTEWATER TREATMENT COSTS, WHILE INCREASING PRODUCTION CAPACITY.