Application of poly (Ethyl eugenyl oxyacetate) compounds as the ions carrier for heavy metals separation and separation of fe and ni in ferronickel using liquid membrane transport method

Poly(ethyl eugenyl oxyacetate) (PEEOA) had been synthesized for separating heavy metals like Fe(III), Cr(III), Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), and Pb(II) by liquid membrane transport method. The effects of pH, ion carrier volume, stripping concentration, transport time, and metal ion concentration were investigated to obtain optimum conditions. Experimental results showed that optimum pH occurred at pH 4 for Fe(III) ions and pH 5 for others. Carrier volumes were optimum at 8.5 mL for Fe(III) and Pb(II) ions but 7.5 mL for others. The optimum concentrations of the stripping phase were 2 M for Fe(III) and Cu(II) ions, 1 M for Cr(III), Ni(II), Co(II) ions, and 0.5 M for Pb(II) ion. Transport times were optimum at 36 h for Fe(III) and Co(II) ions and 48 h for others. The optimum metal ion concentrations were 0.25 mM for Fe(III) and Cr(III) ions, while other ions were 0.1 mM. The response of PEEOA to Fe(III) ion was the best with selectivity order, Fe(III) > Cr(III) > Pb(II) > Cu(II) > Ni(II) > Co(II). PEEOA also could separate Fe and Ni in a ferronickel sample whose transport percents were 8.87 and 0.92%, respectively. Hence, PEEOA is reasonably effective as an ions carrier for separating metal ions individually or ionic mixture and also in a ferronickel compound.