Transport of metal complex chlorides through plastic film membrane

Abstract

THE acid–metal–chloro complexes of gallium and iron have been shown to be transported through polyurethane membranes by virtue of an acid or chloride gradient. Vofsi and co-workers^1–3 have reported on transport of uranium using complexing plasticisers in thin plastic films. More recently, the transport of sodium across a liquid membrane was described⁴. Recent work⁵ has demonstrated that open cell polyurethane foam sponge with surface areas of less than 0.1 m² g⁻¹ can dissolve gallium or iron as the HMC1₄ complex to as much as 10% of the foam by weight. In this note, we investigate the transport of metal complexes, such as HMX₄ of gallium and iron, across polyurethane plastic films. We believe that the acid-chloro complex could dissolve in the film and so pass through such membranes.