Interpenetrating polymers supported on microporous polypropylene membranes for the transport of chromium ions

Modifying polypropylene membranes with interpenetrating polymer networks(IPNs) through the incorporation of poly(glycidyl methacrylate-N-methyl-D-glucamine)(P(GMA-NMG)) was performed by in situ synthesis via radical polymerization. The surface of the polypropylene membrane was activated by hydrophilic grafted polyelectrolyte, and then, pressure injection was used for the impregnation of the reactive solution in the membrane.Two types of pore-filled membranes were synthesized, chelating interpenetrating homopolymer networks of P(GMA-NMG), and chelating-ion exchange interpenetrating polymer networks(e.g., P(GMA-NMG)/P(AA),P(GMA-NMG)/P(AMPSA), and P(GMA-NMG)/P(Cl VBTA)). After their synthesis, the modified polypropylene membranes were characterized using techniques such as the electrokinetic potential, SEM, FT-IR, and Donnan dialysis to corroborate the chromium ion transport. The P(GMA-NMG) and complex network membranes exhibited a hydrophilic character with a water-uptake capacity between 20% and 35% and a percentage of modification between 4.0% and 7.0% in comparison with the behavior of the unmodified polypropylene membrane.Hexavalent chromium ions were efficiently transported from the food chamber at p H 9.0 when the 65.2%MTA1 P(Cl VBTA) homopolymer IPN membrane and 48.5% MTAG P(GMA-NMG)/P(Cl VBTA) IPN membrane were used. Similarly, hexavalent chromium ions were removed from the food chamber at pH 3.0 when MTAG(63.30%) and MTA1(35.68%) were used in 1 mol·L^(-1)Na Cl solution as the extraction reagent.

Electrochemical reduction of Cr(Ⅵ)in the presence of sodium alginate and its application in water purification

Chromium(Cr)is used in many manufacturing processes,and its release into natural waters is a major environmental problem today.Low concentrations of Cr(Ⅵ)are toxic to human health and living organisms due to the carcinogenic and mutagenic nature of this mineral.This work examined the conversion of Cr(Ⅵ)to Cr(Ⅲ)via electrochemical reduction using gold electrode in an acidic sodium alginate(SA)solution and subsequent removal of the produced Cr(Ⅲ)-SA by the polymer-enhanced ultrafiltration(PEUF)technique.A solution of SA in nitric acid was used both as an electrolytic medium during the voltammetric measurements and bulk electrolysis and as an extracting agent during the PEUF technique.The electroanalysis of Cr(Ⅵ)was performed by linear sweep voltammetry in the presence of acidic SA solution to study its voltammetric behavior as a function of the Cr(Ⅵ)concentration,pH,presence of Cr(Ⅲ),SA concentration and scan rate.In addition,the quantitative reduction of Cr(Ⅵ)to Cr(Ⅲ)was studied through the bulk electrolysis technique.The results showed efficient reduction with well-defined peaks at approximately 0.3 V vs.Ag/AgCl,using a gold working electrode.As the pH increased,the reduction signal strongly decreased until its disappearance.The optimum SA concentration was 10 mmol/L,and it was observed that the presence of Cr(Ⅲ)did not interfere in the Cr(Ⅵ)electroanalysis.Through the quantitative reduction by bulk electrolysis in the presence of acidic SA solution,it was possible to reduce all Cr(Ⅵ)to Cr(Ⅲ)followed by its removal via PEUF.