Transport of phenol through polymer inclusion membrane with N,N-di(1-methylheptyl) acetamide as carriers from aqueous solution

The polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as polymer matrix and N,N-di(1-methylheptyl) acetamide (N503) as a specific carrier were prepared by solvent evaporation. Microstructure and mechanical properties of PIMs were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and tension tester, respectively. The prepared PIMs were used to investigate the facilitated transport of phenol from model solution. The mass transfer dynamics and the transmission thermodynamics of transport process were investigated. Meanwhile, the effects of carrier content in membrane and solution environment on the transport performance of PIMs and its stability were also researched. The results showed that the content of carrier in membrane had a significant impact on the microstructure and mechanical property of PIMs. The transport of phenol was in line with the first order kinetics equation. The PIM presented an optimal transport performance and a certain degree of stability when the carrier content in membrane was 68.8%, feed solution pH was 2 and sodium hydroxide concentration of strip solution was 0.1 mol/L. The initial flux of the PIM reached maximum 25.0 mg m−2 s−1 when phenol initial concentration was 8000 mg/L in feed solution. The thermodynamic analysis indicated that the transport of phenol through PIMs in the range of 0-45 °C was the diffusion-controlled process.