Extraction of 4-chlorophenol from aqueous solutions by emulsion liquid membrane

In the present study the extraction of 4-chlorophenol from aqueous solutions by using the emulsion liquid membranes technique has beeninvestigated. Chlorophenols are hazardous phenolic compounds that produce by direct chlorination of phenol. They are among the most harmful substances in water and wastewater. They are toxic even in very low concentrations. So recovery and reuse methods for the treatment of effluents containing chlorophenols (instead of destructive methods such as chemical oxidation and incineration) should be urgently developed. In this paper an effective emulsion liquid membrane technique was used for extraction and recovery of 4-chlorophenol from aqueous solutions. The effect of feed concentration, initial pH value, internal reagent concentration, stirring speed and treat ratio has been studied. The results showed at the optimum condition, the ELM extracted the solute from a feed containing 100 ppm of 4- chlorophenol within 15 minutes, completely.