Non-Dispersive Extraction of Ge(IV) from Aqueous Solutions by Cyanex 923: Transport and Modeling Studies

The transport of germanium from an aqueous solution containing oxalic acid was studied using a flat sheet supported liquid membrane (FSSLM) system. Cyanex 923 immobilized in a polytetrafluoroethylene membrane was employed as a carrier. The solution chemistry and related diagrams were applied to study the transport of germanium. The effectual parameters such as oxalic acid, the carrier, and strip reagent concentrations were evaluated in this study. Based on the results, the oxalic acid concentration of 0.075 mol/L and the carrier concentration of 20 %v/v were the condition in which the efficient germanium transport occurred. Among strip reagents tested, NaOH had the best efficiency to transport germanium through the supported liquid membrane system. Furthermore, the permeation model was obtained to calculate the mass transfer resistances. According to the results, the values of 1 and 1345 s/cm were evaluated for Δm and Δf, respectively. The model curve showed that the P value reached a steady state at higher concentrations of the carrier because the viscosity governed the transport phenomenon.