Selective Permeation of Vanadium(V) and Chromium(VI) through Anion Exchange and Supported Liquid Membranes

Abstract Selective permeation of vanadium(V) and chromium(VI) using three types of membrane systems was studied. The first was an anion exchange membrane, the second and third were supported liquid membranes containing either a tertiary amine or a quaternary ammonium salt. The membrane was sandwiched between two glass cells. One cell was filled with a solution of identical concentrations of vanadium(V) and chromium(VI), and the other cell contained sodium hydroxide solution. The permeation rates of vanadium(V) and chromium(VI) were measured from the concentration change in the solution on the recovery side of the membrane. The selectivity of vanadium(V) over chromium(VI) was defined as the ratio of their rates. The selectivity of vanadium(V) over chromium(VI) was as high as 10 for pH of feed phase between 8 and 10 when using the quaternary ammonium salt and much better than these for the other membranes with an alkaline feed phase, which was used to simulate of the effluent from leaching of the heavy oil combustion ash and other wastes containing vanadium.