Metallic species (Ag+ and Cu2+ ions) transfer through a membrane—gel Original Research Article

The liquid, solid or gas natural waste issued from industry can be toxic to humans. They can modify the natural environment with unpredictable consequences. The modes of treatment are varied. They differ according to the forms of this waste. The industry of surface treatment is a part of this polluting group. Indeed, it generates liquid effluents (water loaded with acid or basic pollutants or dissolved toxic metals). For considerations as economic as ecological, finding appropriate clean processes, which not only avoid the toxic waste in the nature but also insure their recycling, becomes a necessity. Among these means, there is liquid—liquid extraction. This technique allows, among others, concentration of metallic species. By basing itself on the advantages of this one, new processes appeared, in particular separation by liquid membrane, introduced by Li [1,2]. Liquid—gel membrane extraction allows combining the favorable effects of liquid—liquid extraction and those of liquid—solid extraction [3–5]. Advantages are the weak demand of energy, the simplicity of the implemented, the possible restoration of the extracted species and the volume restricted by the organic phase. In this work, liquid—gel was studied for the treatment of solutions of silver.