This work is a comprehensive study on removal of phenols from coal gasification wastewater (CGW) through a polypropylene hollow fiber supported liquid membrane (HF-SLM). Factors affecting removal of phenols such as composition of liquid membrane phase, design of mass transfer process, proportion of organic phase in feed phase and stripping phase, feed phase pressure, system temperature, were investigated. The operating conditions obtained for the removal of phenols are as follows: mixture of 20% tributyl phosphate and 80% kerosene as liquid membrane phase, system temperature 20 degrees C, feed phase went through tube side, stripping phase went through shell side, organic phase proportion in feed phase 2%, counter-current flow for feed phase and stripping phase, feed phase pressure 0.015 MPa. Under the optimum conditions, a removal rate of phenols was obtained exceeding 90% after 120 min. These results suggest that HF-SLM could be promising in removal of phenols from COW. (C) 2017 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.