A NEW SOLUTION TO EMULSION LIQUID MEMBRANE PROBLEMS BY NON-NEWTONIAN CONVERSION

Emulsion liquid membrane separation processes remain excessively vulne rable to one or more of four major problems. Difficulties lie in devel oping liquid membranes that combine high levels of both stability and permeability with acceptably low levels of swelling and ease of subseq uent demulsification for membrane and solute recovery. This article pr ovides a new technique for simultaneously overcoming the first three p roblems while identifying physical indications that the proposed solut ion may have little adverse effect on the fourth problem (demulsificat ion) and may even alleviate it. Numerous benefits of optimized convers ion of the membrane phase into suitable non-Newtonian form are identif ied, their mechanisms outlined, and experimental verifications provide d. These include increased stability, retained (or enhanced) permeabil ity, reduced swelling, increased internal phase volume, and increased stirrer speeds. The highly favorable responsiveness of both aliphatic and aromatic membranes to the new technique is demonstrated.