Effects and optimization of operating parameters of anionic dye extraction from an aqueous solution using an emulsified liquid membrane: Application of designs of experiments

•An emulsified liquid membrane has been developed for the extraction of the dye AY99.•The organic phase was a mixture of a surfactant (SPAN 80) and an extractant (Aliquat 336) dissolved in an organic solvent (cyclohexane).•A screening design was conducted using a fractional factorial design of Plackett–Burman to determine among 8 operating parameters, the most important on the extraction.•A second design using response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the extraction.•The extraction was enhanced to 99.98% with a minimum of runs.

To remove Acid Yellow 99 from an aqueous solution, extraction by an emulsified liquid membrane consisting of Aliquat336 as the extractant, Span80 as the surfactant and cyclohexane as the diluent may be used. The process parameters were studied in first using a screening design of Plackett–Burman to study the effects of different operating parameters on the extraction yield. Then, a second experimental Box–Behnken design was applied with the most important parameters determined in the first design. Only a few runs had been necessary and sufficient to optimize eight parameters and to enhance the experimental extraction yield to 99.98%

Graphical abstractResponse surface and contour surface of yield according to [H2SO4]int and [H2SO4]extFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide