Recent developments on sustainable solvents for emulsion liquid membrane processes

Abstract This review article mainly engrossed about the sustainable and innovative uses of greener solvents (vegetable oils and ionic liquids) during the formulation and preparation of emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) as an alternative to petroleum based organic solvents (POS). Recently, significant advancements have been made towards the formulation of organic phase of existing ELM based separation processes. The major current advancement in the ELM based separation technique is the utilization of greener solvents to make the standing ELM based separation processes more economic and environmentally pollution free. The ELM based extraction/removal technique is being applying successfully and continuously in the various sectors such as chemical engineering, chemistry (inorganic as well as organic), biotechnology, and environmental science and engineering. It has the merits of active transportation, highly selective in nature, easy to scale-up, minimum energy needs, and low investment in its operating and handling costs. This paper attempts to review the projections to the application of greener solvents as cost effective and environmentally benign diluents during the formulation of ELM and also elucidates in detail its recent potential and commercial applications.