Modeling of the Permeation of Thorium through Liquid Emulsion Membrane

Abstract

A general permeation model for the separation of thorium by liquid emulsion membrane (LEM), using theonyletrichloroacetone HTTA as a carrier is presented. The internal mass transfer in the W/O emulsion drop, the external mass transfer around the drop, the rates of formation, and the decomposition of the complex at the external aqueous‐organic interface were considered. Further, the leakage of the internal aqueous phase to the external phase due to the membrane break‐up is also taken into account. The batch extraction of thorium using HTTA as a carrier was carried out under various experimental conditions. It is found that the extraction rates can be satisfactorily simulated by the proposed model.

Keywords:

• Liquid emulsion membrane
• thorium extraction permeation
• LEM modelling