Downloaded by 80.82.77.83 on May 5, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: May 5, 1996 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1996-0642.pr001
Preface MEMBRANES that isolate distinct solutions and permit selective passage of chemical species are fundamental features of life processes. Considerable success has been achieved in the development of artificial membranes for the separation of a wide variety of ionic and molecular species. With sales of membrane separation systems surpassing $1 billion annually, membrane science is an extremely important topic for current and future technology. The liquid membrane system involves an immiscible liquid that serves as a semipermeable barrier between two liquid or gas phases. The efficiency and selectivity of transport across the immiscible liquid may be markedly enhanced by the presence of a carrier in the membrane phase that reacts rapidly and reversibly with the desired chemical species. Liquid membrane systems have been and are being studied extensively by researchers in such fields as analytical, inorganic, and organic chemistry, chemical engineering, biotechnology, and biomedical engineering. Research and development activities within these disciplines involve diverse applications of liquid membrane technology, such as gas separations, recovery of valued or toxic metals, removal of organic compounds, development of sensing devices, and recovery of fermentation products. Transport of ionic species through synthetic liquid membranes also provides useful models for biological systems. At national meetings of the American Chemical Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in 1995, symposia on recent developments in liquid membrane technology were dedicated to Norman N. Li, who in 1968 invented the emulsion liquid membrane system. This book is based on papers that were presented in these two symposia and is also dedicated to Norman N. Li. The 27 chapters of this book describe separations of metal ions, anionic species, organic molecules, and gas mixtures that involve liquid membrane processes. Scientists and engineers in academic, governmental, and industrial laboratories in eight countries contributed to this volume. An overview chapter provides an introduction to the various liquid membrane configurations, transport mechanisms, and experimental techniques. A tribute chapter follows, summarizing the many contributions of Norman N. Li in the field of membrane science. The remainder of the book is divided into sections on theory and mechanism (6 chapters), carrier design, synthesis, and evaluation (6 chapters), and applications in ix Bartsch and Way; Chemical Separations with Liquid Membranes ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1996.
Downloaded by 80.82.77.83 on May 5, 2018 | https://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: May 5, 1996 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1996-0642.pr001
chemical separations (13 chapters). The applications section covers a very broad range of separation processes, including separation of carbon dioxide from nitrogen; unsaturated from saturated hydrocarbons in both the gaseous and liquid states; individual transition and heavy metal cations, such as mercury and lead, including the field testing of a system for copper recovery from mine solutions; selenium from contaminated waters; radiotoxic species such as cesium, uranium, and plutonium from nuclear wastes; and sugarsfromaqueous solutions. These descriptions of liquid membrane technology provide state-ofthe-art information for both the novice and the practitioner. Chemists who work in metal-ion complexation and separation, carrier synthesis, and nuclear chemistry will want a copy of this book. Chemical engineers involved in gas processing, metals recovery, and nuclear-waste processing will also find this book to be a valuable resource. Acknowledgments We acknowledge financial assistance from the Separation Science and Technology Subdivision of the ACS Division of Industrial and Engineer ing Chemistry, Inc.; the Donors of The Petroleum Research Fund, admin istered by the American Chemical Society; and Eichrom Industries, Inc., forfinancialsupport of the Symposium on Liquid Membrane Separations, held at the 209th ACS National Meeting in Anaheim, California, April 2-7, 1995. We also acknowledge the members of ACS Books Depart ment for their efforts in assembling this volume. Finally, we thank the authors for preparing their manuscripts and the referees for reviewing each chapter. R I C H A R D A. B A R T S C H
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX 79409-1061 J. D O U G L A S W A Y
Chemical Engineering and Petroleum Refining Department Colorado School of Mines 1500 Illinois Street Golden, CO 80401-1887 May 30, 1996
x Bartsch and Way; Chemical Separations with Liquid Membranes ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1996.
