Electrochemical Extraction with Supported Liquid Membrane for Removing Copper from Synthetic Wastewater: Optimisation through Response Surface Methodology

In this study, copper was removed from an aqueous solution through electromembrane extraction (EME), a new approach that utilises a two-chamber electrochemical cell. It consists of two electrodes (stainless steel cathode and graphite anode) and a solid liquid membrane (SLM). SLM is composed of supporting polypropylene membrane impregnated with1-octanol as an organic solvent and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (DEHP) as a carrier. The effects of process parameters such as applied voltage, pH and copper concentration on the removal of copper were investigated. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimise these parameters and their interactions. Results indicated that pH has the major effect on the removal of copper, followed by applied voltage. The squared interaction term in the RSM model has the highest contribution (70.5%), followed by the linear term, thereby confirming the significant interaction among the variables. The optimum conditions include an applied voltage of 60V, pH of 5.18 and initial copper concentration of 5 ppm, which yield to a removal efficiency of 80% after 6 hours of operation. The findings demonstrate the use of electromembrane extraction as an efficient method for the removal of heavy metals and provide valuable insights for future application to other environmental and water treatment processes.