RECOVERY OF CARBOXYLIC ACIDS FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS BY LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION WITH A TRIISOOCTYLAMINE DILUENT SYSTEM

Tertiary alkylamines in solution with organic diluents are attractive extractants for the recovery of carboxylic acids from dilute aqueous phases. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism for extraction of organic acids from water by a long-chain aliphatic tertiary amine. In order to attain this objective, we studied the liquid-liquid equilibria between the triisooctylamine + 1-octanol + n-heptane system as solvent and an aqueous solution of an individual carboxylic acid such as citric, lactic and malic acids. The experiments showed that the partition coefficient for a particular organic acid depends on the kind of solute, notably when the acid concentration in the aqueous phase is low. A mathematical model, where both chemical association and physical distribution are taken into consideration, is proposed. The model suggests that the various complexes obtained between amine and organic acids contribute to the distribution of the solute between the coexisting phases in equilibrium

Environmental research to support the EU 2020 Vision

The EU’s 2020 vision aims to deliver a bright future for Europe. This can only be achieved in the context of a sustainable, healthy environment. The Advisory Group on Environment (including climate change) sees the need to achieve a new balance between continued support for disciplinary research while at the same time fostering inter-disciplinary approaches to complex issues. Along with understanding the processes leading to global environmental change, must be added an understanding of societal changes and their implications for the quality of environment, and the mechanisms of knowledge transfer and innovation infrastructures that are required to make the 2020 vision a success