Liquid-Liquid Extraction for Surfactant-Contaminant Separation and Surfactant Reuse

Abstract

Liquid-liquid extraction was investigated for use with surfactant enhanced subsurface remediation. A surfactant liquid-liquid extraction model (SLLEM) was developed for batch equilibrium conditions based on contaminant partitioning between micellar, water, and solvent phases. The accuracy of this fundamental model was corroborated with experimental results (using naphthalene and phenanthrene as contaminants and squalane as the extracting solvent). The SLLEM model was then expanded to nonequilibrium conditions. The effectiveness of this nonequilibrium model was corroborated with experimental results from continuous flow hollow fiber membrane systems. The validated models were used to conduct a sensitivity analysis evaluating the effects of surfactants on the removal of the contaminants in liquid-liquid extraction systems. In addition, liquid-liquid extraction is compared to air stripping for surfactant-contaminant separation. Finally, conclusions are drawn as to the impact of surfactants on liquid-liquid extraction processes, and the significance of these impacts on the optimization of surfactant-enhanced subsurface remediation.