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Microwave-induced plasma optical emission spectrometry (MIP-OES) has been attracting growing interest since the introduction of a commercial instrument based on a Hammer cavity and resonant iris system (4100 MP-AES, Agilent...

Liquid−liquid equilibrium data were obtained for aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) composed of [poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO1500), poly(propylene oxide) (PPO425), poly(ethylene oxide) 11 −poly(propylene oxide) 17 −poly(ethylene oxide) 11 (L35), or poly(propylene oxide) 8 −poly(ethylene oxide) 22 −poly(propylene oxide) 8 (10R5)] + ammonium thiosulfate + water, at 283.2, 298.2, and 313.2 K. The consistencies of the all tie-line experimental compositions were improved by applying the Othmer− Tobias and Bancroft equations, resulting in linear correlation coefficients (R 2 ) ≥ 0.95. For all the ATPS, an increase in the temperature resulted in increases in the biphasic region and the tie-line slope, indicating that the phase separation process was entropically driven. Among the macromolecules studied, PPO425 produced the largest biphasic region, due to its greater hydrophobicity, followed by L35 ≈ 10R5 > PEO1500.

In extraction procedures, the more commonly used aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) comprise mainly water, salt, and macromolecule, particularly the macromolecule poly­(ethylene oxide) (PEO). However, one limitation of such ATPS is their capacity to separate compounds that are more hydrophobic. One possible solution to overcome this restriction is the use of ATPS formed with triblock copolymers, which are more hydrophobic and therefore enable the extraction of hydrophobic solutes. In addition, the range of applications of ATPS formed with thiocyanate salts can be broader, mainly to extract metal ions. In view of this, equilibrium data were acquired in this work by constructing phase diagrams for ATPS comprising macromolecules [poly­(ethylene oxide), PEO, or (poly­(ethylene oxide))-(poly­(propylene oxide))-(poly­(ethylene oxide)) triblock copolymers, F68 or L64] + thiocyanate salts (ammonium, sodium, or potassium) + water at 25.0 °C. The influence of the nature of the cation on the formation of the ATPS was investigated and followed the order K+ > Na+ > NH4 +. The capacity of different macromolecules to enable ATPS formation was also examined and followed the order L64 > F68 > PEO1500. Phase inversion occurred with the (L64 or F68) + NH4SCN + water ATPS, in that the top phase is rich in salt and the bottom phase is rich in macromolecule. This aspect is different in most ATPS that are typically described in the literature.

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