Solubilization and micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration of o-cresol by sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles

The solubilization and the micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) of o-cresol were investigated by using an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). In order to study the solubilization behaviour of the solute, the semiequilibrium dialysis (SED) method was employed and stirred-cell ultrafiltration experiments were performed for the test of MEUF. The analysis of the results supported that approximately two surfactant molecules provide a location for the solubilized solute within micelle. In the removal of o-cresol by MEUF, as long as high SDS concentrations in the retentate (>0.2 M) are avoided, relatively good rejection of o-cresol (85 %) could be obtained under the conditions used (initial concentration ratio:[o-cresol]/[SDS]=0.2 and 0.6). Furthermore, the ultrafiltration processes were nearly at equilibrium, so that the permeate concentrations of o-cresol could be predicted from the SED results. The separation efficiency was greater at lower o-cresol concentrations when the SDS concentrations were fixed in the feed, while the rejection increased with increasing the SDS concentrations at constant intramicellar mole fraction of the solute Xc. In addition, as the o-cresol loading of retentate increased, the less SDS in the retentate permeated through ultrafiltration membranes. On the other hand, the higher o-cresol loadings reduced the fluxes of MEUF runs.