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The present paper
gives an overview of the basic principle and mechanism of supported
liquid membrane technology (SLMT). Owing to stringent environmental
regulations, there is a need for new and unconventional methods of
waste purification. The recognition of this technology as a possible
solution, along with its wider acceptance in preference to the
conventional separation processes, has led to remarkable advances in
this field. Salient features of SLMT such as high separation
selectivity, simultaneous extraction and stripping, and uphill
transport have been briefly discussed. Materials used for different
components of the assembly, and innovations in the same, have also
been reviewed. Solutions for overcoming setbacks such as relative
instability and short lifetime have been assessed. Recent advances
and application-oriented research have been reviewed, with the
purpose of evaluating their feasibility and effectiveness. Novel
processes contrived on SLMs have been proposed as efficient methods
for the selective extraction of chemical species in dilute streams,
such as metal ions, biological compounds, organic compounds,
radioactive species, and gas mixtures. The simultaneous extraction -
stripping, mediated by SLM, offers an innovative solution to the
dire problem of chemical separation. |
