Separation Science and Technology, Vol.45, No.6, 732-739, 2010
Solubilization of Nitroaromatic Compounds from Multi-Component Mixtures into Nonionic Surfactant Micellar Solutions
This study investigated the solubilization of 2-component and 3-component mixtures of 4-nitrotoluene (4-NT), 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT), and 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in solutions of Brij-35, Brij-58, and alkyl phenol ethoxylates (Tergitol NP-10 to NP-40). 4-NT had the highest molar solubilization ratio (MSR) and TNT the lowest. For all 2-component systems with 4-NT, the MSR of 2,6-DNT and TNT increased. When either 2,6-DNT or TNT was present, the MSR values increased slightly for Tergitol NP-10 (NP10) and Tergitol NP-13 (NP13). For 3-component systems, TNT's MSR increased for all the surfactants, while significant increases in the MSR of 4-NT and 2,6-DNT were found for NP10 and NP13.