Separation and Concentration of Mercury(II) with Liquid Surfactant Membrane Containing New Types of Carriers and Surfactants

Mercury(II) was separated and concentrated from aqueous nitrate of chloride media into six kinds of liquid surfactant membranes using the following pairs of extractants and surfactants. Dihexyl sulfide, 1, 2-bis(hexylthio)ethane and triisobutylphosphine sulfide were employed as a mobile carrier while L-glutamic acid dioleyl ester and Span 80 were employed as a surfactant. It was found that the liquid surfactant membrane containing triisobutylphosphine sulfide and L-glutamic acid dioleyl ester can much more effectively extract mercury (II) than other kinds of liquid surfactant membranes, i.e. it can lower the mercury(II) concentration in the external aqueous phase down to 1/2000 of the initial concentration(= 5× 10^-4 mol·dm^-3) in one batch operation in the extraction from aqueous nitrate media within 15 min.