TRANSPORT OF PHENOL THROUGH INCLUSION POLYMER MEMBRANE (PIM) USING COPOLY(EUGENOL-DVB) AS MEMBRANE CARRIERS

Copoly(eugenol-DVB) with DVB composition of 2%, 6% and 12% had been prepared and characterized by FTIR spectroscopy. The copolymers were used as membrane carriers for the transport of phenol using the polymer inclusion membranes (PIM) based on polyvinylchloride (PVC) as membrane support. The experimental conditions for investigation of the transport of phenol through the membranes including pH of the source phase, NaOH concentration in the stripping phase, membrane thickness, membrane carrier concentration and transport time were optimized. The results showed that the optimum condition for phenol transport was achieved on the membrane based on copoly(eugenol-DVB) 12% with the transport efficiency of 75.6% at pH of the source phase of 4.5, NaOH concentration of 0.25 M and transport time of 48 h. The reaction follows first order kinetics with mass transfer coefficient (k) of 2.72 and permeability (P-s) of 1.5 x 10(-4) m/s.