| Abstract: | The transfer and separation of Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) ions across a hollow fiber supported liquid membrane containing LIX 864 as the mobile carrier dissolved in kerosene solvent has been investigated. The flux and selectivity for copper has been studied as a function of the feed flow, the carrier concentration in the liquid membrane and the extraction solution acidity. A maximum copper recovery at 30% of LIX (v/v) in the diluent was obtained. The permeation experiments showed that at pH 2 in the extraction solution a highly selective separation of Cu over the other cations can be achieved. Increasing the acidity of the extraction solution copper selectivity decrease and the grade of recuperation sequence is Cu>Co>Ni>Zn. These results suggest that in selected situations, this membrane system can be competitive with the conventional liquid-liquid extraction process, in particular in leaching solutions with low metal concentration. |
