The electrostatic pseudo liquid membrane separation process

developed recently in this laboratory

is a novel chemical separation technology. It is an inter-disciplinary technique evolved from the combination of solvent extraction

liquid membrane and electrostatic techniques. It can be used to separate

purify and concentrate specific solutes from aqueous solutions. Therefore

it is suitable for the recovery of valuable metals from aqueous solutions in the field of hydrometallurgy including nuclear fuel recycling

and for the processes of waste water treatment. In this paper

the basic principles of electrostatic pseudo liquid membrane are discussed and demonstrated experimentally with Co2+ extraction by D2EHPA. The effects on Co2+ extraction by electrical field strength

extract-ant concentration and the flow ratio of feed to stripping solution have been studied. Experiments show that the once through extraction efficiency of Co2+ can reach 99% while Co2+ can be concentrated up to 40-50g/I. in the stripping solution.