The removal of phenol from synthetic wastewater using Calix[4]resorcinarene derivative based polymer inclusion membrane

Abstract

In the present study, the removal of phenol from synthetic wastewater across polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) containing calix[4]resorcinarene derivative used as a carrier were investigated. Phenol removal showing high efficiency when transported through PIMs prepared from cellulose triacetate (CTA) as a polymeric support material and 2-NPOE as a plasticizer. The effects of membrane composition, type of plasticizer, carrier content, pH phase’s solution, and membrane stability, were examined in the facilitated transport experiments of phenol across PIM. A PIM containing 0.1 g CTA, 0.15g/g CTA of carrier and 1.5 g/g CTA of NPOE, provided the highest percentage of phenol over 5 days of transport, the feed solution in these transport experiments was at pH 2, while the stripping solution contained 0.25M NaOH. The prepared PIM were characterized by using Fourier transform Infra Red (FTIR), XRD and Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques