EXTRACTION OF CEPHALOSPORIN-C USING SUPPORTED LIQUID MEMBRANE

As a step towards development of an efficient method for separation of cephalosporin C from fermentation broth, reactive extraction in suppo rted liquid membrane has been investigated using simulated feed soluti on. Experiments were conducted in a diaphragm type cell with Celgard-2 400 membrane as the solid support and Aliquat-336 as the carrier disso lved in butyl acetate as the diluent. Cephalosporin C was permeated ac ross the membrane from an alkaline feed phase of carbonate buffer into an acidic strip solution of acetate buffer via a coupled transport ph enomenon involving Cl ions. The permeation process was analyzed from t he hypothesis of an overall transport dependance on diffusion across t he liquid membrane and total re-extracting in the stripping phase.