Coupled transport of cyanide ions through liquid membranes

In this study, the transport kinetics of coupled transport of cyanide ions through liquid membrane (trichloromethane) containing tetraoctylammonium chloride as a carrier was examined at different temperatures. The kinetics of cyanide transport could be analyzed in the formalism of two consecutive irreversible first order reactions. The influence of the temperature on the kinetic parameters (k(1d), k(2m), k(2a), R-m(max), t(max), J(d)(max), J(a)(max)) has been established. For maximum membrane entrance and exit fluxes, J(d)(max) and Jamax, the activation energies were found from the slopes of the two linear relationships: 9.02 kcal/mol and 11.20 kcal/mol, respectively. The values of the found activation energy indicate that in the first step the transport process of cyanide ions through liquid membrane is difussional controlled, whereas in the second step it is most probably controlled by species diffusion and the rate of the reversible chemical reaction.