Studies on Removal of Acetic Acid using Hydrophobic Polyvinylidene Fluoride Supported Liquid Membrane

IJEP 46(3): 195-204 : Vol. 46 Issue. 3 (March 2026)

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V.S. Mamtani1,2 and A.K. Ghosh1,2*

1. Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai – 400 094, Maharashtra, India
2. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Desalination and Membrane Technology Division, Trombay, Mumbai – 400 085, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Recovering acetic acid from wastewater and industrial effluent reduces water pollution and decreases overall costs through reuse. This study examines the extraction of acetic acid using a supported liquid membrane (SLM) system with laboratory-prepared hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) capillary membranes as support. Tri-n-octylamine (TOA) in 2-ethyl-1-hexanol (2-EH) and 0.1 N sodium hydroxide served as the organic liquid membrane and strip solution, respectively. PVDF support membranes were created via wet-spinning and characterized for surface roughness, water contact angle, thickness and porosity. The effects of TOA concentration, feed and stripping solution flow rates and support membrane thickness on the SLM’s extraction performance were analyzed. Approximately 90% of acetic acid was removed within 8 hr using 0.75 M TOA in 2-EH. The optimal support thickness, feed flow rate and stripping solution flow rate were 130 µm, 100 mL/min and 150 mL/min, respectively. A mathematical model was used to predict acetic acid extraction and was validated against experimental data, showing deviations of less than 10%. This study demonstrates the effective removal of acetic acid from aqueous waste streams using the SLM system.

Keywords

Acetic acid, supported liquid membrane, extraction, polyvinylidene fluoride capillary support, mathematical modelling

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