Facilitated Transport of Gold through a Membrane via Complexation to Thiourea-Based Reagents

Abstract

Abstract The facilitated transport of Au(III) from hydrochloric acid solutions through double solid supported liquid membranes (SSLMs) is reported. The organic phase consisted of a chloroform solution of thiourea-based extraction reagents, dodecyl-thiourea (DTH) or nonylthiourea (NTH), physically absorbed onto microporous polypropylene films, Celgard 2500 or Celgard 2400 (Celanese Plastic Inc.). A cell composed of three compartments, including a reservoir of organic solution, with double SSLM was used in this study. Aqueous solutions of thiourea, KSCN, or Na2S2O3 were used for removing Au(III) from the membrane phase. The permeability coefficient, P, of the SSLM was determined from the slope of Iog[Au]/[Au]o or log A/Ao vs time plot. The influences of the stirring rate in aqueous feed and organic solutions, of the stripping reagents and their concentration, of the carrier concentration, and of the concentration of HCl in the aqueous feed on the permeability coefficient were determined. A model describing the transport mechanism consisting of diffusion through a feed aqueous diffusion layer, a fast interfacial chemical reaction, and diffusion through the membranes is reported. The study also demonstrates the suitability of the liquid membrane technique to use reagents with low solubility in organic solutions for the permeation of Au3+ without problem of solid-phase formation.