Use of Supported Liquid Membranes for Sulfate Extraction from Acidic Wastewaters

Sulfate pollution is a current target of many national regulatory and enforcement agencies worldwide. The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of using supported liquid membranes to remove low concentration sulfate ions from acidic wastewater. Alamine 336 was identified as a suitable carrier. It was used together with isodecanol as a phase modifier and kerosene as a solvent to form the liquid membrane. Celgard 2500 was used as a support. It was concluded that sulfate ions could be removed from polluted water by means of a cotransport mechanism in conjunction with ion-immobilization. Sodium carbonate was used to strip the sulfate ions from the organic phase. This technique promises to be a useful tool in combating sulfate pollution.