Removal of Fe(III) ions from dilute aqueous solutions by alginic acid‐enhanced ultrafiltration

The removal of Fe(III) ions from aqueous solutions was studied using membrane filtration. A water‐soluble polymer alginic acid (AA) was used to bind the metal ions, which was followed by batch ultrafiltration using poly(methyl methacrylate‐methacrylic acid) membranes modified with poly(ethylene glycol) (PMMA‐MA‐PEG). The complexation behavior of AA and the effect pH on the rejection of iron were investigated. Maximum recovery of 87.13% was obtained when the filtration was carried out in the presence of AA at pH 3.1. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 1096–1101, 2000     

Removal of ammonium ions from aqueous solutions with coal-based activated carbons modified by oxidation

The main purpose of this work is to study the possibilities for removal of ammonium ions from aqueous solutions by the two coal-based activated carbons (one obtained from Bulgarian lignite from the Chukurovo deposit, and the second, available as commercial product) and their oxidized modifications. The porous texture and surface chemistry of the adsorbents were characterized. Adsorption of ions was investigated using solutions with different concentrations in the range 35-280 mg l⁻¹ in a static mode. Equilibrium modeling data were fitted to linear Langmuir’s and Freundlich’s equations and maximum adsorption capacities were calculated.     

Removal of cadmium from wastewater by enhanced ultrafiltration using surfactants

In order to recover cadmium ion from wastewater, a process based on enhanced ultrafiltration was finalised. The originality of the solution here proposed lies on the coupled use of ceramic membranes and of a surfactant added to the water to be treated. This paper deals with the study of the influence of experimental conditions upon permeation flux and selectivity of the separation. The process is efficient and flexible since a single stage treatment allows to reduce the concentration of cadmium in the effluent by a factor of about 750; this high performance in selectivity is on a par with high fluxes of permeate (roughly 170 L.h.^?1.m^?2 at 25°C and 3 × 10⁵ Pa).     

Removal of chromium (III) and cadmium (II) from aqueous solutions

Chromium and cadmium are toxic heavy metals present in wastewaters from a variety of industries. A strong cationexchange resin, Amberlite IR 120, was used for the removal of chromium and cadmium. The resin was prepared in two different cationic forms, as Na⁺ and H⁺. The optimum conditions were concentration, pH, stirring time and resin amount. The concentration range was between 2–50 mg/L, pH range between 2–10, stirring time between 5–60 min, and the amount of resin was from 50–1000 mg. Exchange capacities, moisture content and optimum conditions of this resin were determined in a batch system. The stirring speed was 2000 rpm during all of the batch experiments. The initial and final chromium and cadmium amounts were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The optimum conditions were found to be a concentration of 20 mg/L, pH of 5.5, stirring time of 20 min and 100 mg of resin. The results obtained show that the Amberlite IR 120 strong cation-exchange resin performed well for the removal and recovery of chromium and cadmium.     

Preparation of poly(acrylic acid)/starch hydrogel and its application for cadmium ion removal from aqueous solutions

In this paper, potassium bromate/thiourea dioxide redox system was used to initiate the graft copolymerization reaction of acrylic acid onto maize starch. The so obtained polyacrylic acid/starch graft copolymer was crosslinked by further treatment with alkaline epichlorohydrin to get three dimensional hydrogel. This crosslinked hydrogel was used for the removal of the heavy element, Cd²⁺ from its aqueous solution by adsorption. All factors which are expected to affect the adsorption process, like adsorbent concentration, immersion time, graft yield of the adsorbent, Cd²⁺ concentration and adsorption temperature were extensively studied and reported in the text. The study and investigations demonstrated that the adsorption efficiency is affected by the adsorbent graft yield and the adsorption medium temperature. In addition, on fitting the data obtained from the adsorption process, it was found that the adsorption obeys both Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms but the Langmuir isotherm shows better mathematical fitting for the equilibrium data than does Freundlich model, based on the higher R² value for the Langmuir isotherm.     

Feasibility study on the recovery of chromium (III) by polymer enhanced ultrafiltration

The viability of recovering chromium (III) was studied by polymer enhanced ultrafiltration (PEUF) and its application to tannery wastewater treatment. Four polymers with different functional group, molecular weight and acid-basic equilibrium were tested at 40 and 60 °C in order to investigate the complexation and decomplexation of chromium (III) ions on the polymer chains: polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyacrylic acid-co-maleic acid (PACM), polyethylenimine (PEI) and ethoxylated polyethylenimine (EPEI). The reversibility of the polymer metal binding was studied by operating in a dead-end PEUF system. The best chromium (III) rejections for both reactions were obtained by EPEI. The feasibility of recovering chromium (III) with EPEI was also studied in a cross-flow PEUF system. Chromium ions were complexed by EPEI chains at pH = 5 and decomplexed at pH = 1. Membrane fouling due to conformational variations of EPEI was observed at high ionic strengths.     

Adsorption of cadmium from aqueous solution by phosphogypsum

In the present study, the adsorption of cadmium on phosphogypsum, a waste material from the manufacture of phosphoric acid by wet process, was studied. Before batch adsorption study, phosphogypsum was pre-conditioned by milk of lime. Effect of initial pH on cadmium adsorption was investigated. It was found that cadmium adsorption was dependent on solution pH and maximum cadmium removal was observed in the pH range of 9.5 and 11.5. The Langmuir and Freundlich theories were used to describe the cadmium adsorption process, and the Freundlich isotherm showed the best fit to the process. Maximum adsorption capacity of lime-preconditioned phosphogypsum was found to be 131.58 mg/g.     

Preparation of starch/poly(N,N-Diethylaminoethyl methacrylate) hydrogel and its use in dye removal from aqueous solutions

Starch/poly(N,N-Diethylaminoethyl methacrylate) graft copolymer was synthesized by graft polymerizing N,N-Diethylaminoethyl methacrylate monomers onto cooked starch using ceric ammonium nitrate/nitric acid mixture as an initiator. After extracting the graft copolymer from the homopolymer and evaluating the graft yield, the graft copolymer was subjected to crosslinking treatment using epichlorohydrin in alkaline medium to convert it to hydrogel. The so prepared hydrogel was evaluated for its swelling ratio which was found to be 100. The hydrogel with its cationic functionality was tried for removing the anionic dye Direct Red 81 from its aqueous solution and all factors affecting the hydrogel adsorption capacity towards the anionic dye, like the hydrogel graft yield, the adsorbate pH, the immersion time and the hydrogel dose were studied. The data obtained from the adsorption results were found to fit well to the Langmuir adsorption model.     

Polarographic studies of cadmium(II) ions binding in aqueous polyelectrolyte solutions

Polarographic behaviour of cadmium(II) ions in aqueous solutions of polyacrylic acid with and without indifferent electrolyte (potassium chloride) has been examined. Data for polyacrylic acid were compared with those for the monomer. The diffusion current of polarographic reduction of cadmium(II) ions in the range 0 ? [KCl] < 0.2 N in the presence of polyelectrolytes depends upon the concentration and degree of polymer neutralization and also upon the nature of cation (Na⁺, K⁺) in the polyacrylate salt.     

Water-soluble functional polymers in conjunction with membranes to remove pollutant ions from aqueous solutions

Water-soluble functional polymers have attracted a lot of attention due to their potential applications in different research fields. In environmental sciences, they can be used to remove pollutants. Since properly modified polymer materials can be used to avoid the growth of bacteria, fungi, and algae, they also attract interest from diverse biomedical fields.This review places special emphasis on the study of water-soluble polymers that contain one or more amine, amide, carboxylic acid, hydroxyl, phosphonic acid, quaternary ammonium salts, and sulfonic acid groups at the backbone or side chain and their ability to remove ion pollutants from aqueous solutions. In additional, this review differentiates between different experimental procedures, including the liquid-phase polymer based retention (LPR) technique that combines the use of water-soluble polymers and ultrafiltration membranes, as well as arsenic removal by combining LPR and electrocatalytical oxidation (EO) techniques. EO and LPR can also be coupled off-line to remove arsenic inorganic species from aqueous solutions. A variety of studies show that the functional groups on the polymer and the solution pH have a marked effect on ion removal.     

Shear thickening behavior of dilute poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) aqueous solutions

Using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and capillary dynamic viscoelasticity (DVE) analyzer, we investigated dilute (0.5 mg/ml) poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) aqueous solution properties for three different molecular weights of PDADMACs mixed with various concentrations of NaCl. The dependence of PDADMAC molecular chain conformations in aqueous solutions on polymer molecular weight and NaCl concentration were studied. By analyzing dynamic shear viscosity η′(ω), viscoelastic relaxation times t_r, and shear rate at tube wall ?_a(ω) of PDADMAC aqueous solutions in oscillatory flows, we proposed that polymer chain conformations varied with increasing shear frequency ω via the following steps: intra-polymer associations, dissociation of intra-polymer associations, stretching of polymer chains, inter-polymer aggregations, and dissociations of inter-polymer aggregations. The intra-polymer associations lowered the n′ exponent of storage modulus G′(ω) (G′(ω) ∼ ω^n′) with n′ < 2, and the polymer chain stretching and inter-polymer aggregations caused shear thickening (i.e. upturn of η′(ω)) of PDADMAC aqueous solutions. The behaviors of the lowering of n′ exponent with n′ < 2 and the shear thickening were favored by increasing ionic strength of solutions. By comparing η′(ω) data with DLS hydrodynamic radii (R_h) data, we also confirmed the possibility of inter-polymer aggregations in dilute solutions when polymer chains were stretched in oscillatory flows.     

Treatment of phenol-containing aqueous solutions by membrane-based solvent extraction in coupled ultrafiltration modules

Extractive treatment of phenol-containing aqueous streams by two coupled hollow fiber modules (for simultaneous extraction and stripping) is experimentally and theoretically studied. The effects of hydrodynamic conditions (linear velocities of all three liquids) and concentrations (initial phenol concentrations) are explored and an optimal combination of these process parameters is found for maximisation of the phenol fluxes in both modules. The extraction/stripping performance of the coupled HF modules was compared when using different organic solvent (alcohols and alkanes). Analysis of the mass-transfer resistances of the different liquid layers in both modules is presented based on mathematical model and experimental data from equilibrium measurements and kinetic experiments. It is found that an important part of the overall resistance is located in the aqueous phase’s boundary layers. A substantial improvement of the stripping yield is reached by using a series of stripping modules.     

Formation of mesoglobules in aqueous media from thermo-sensitive poly(ethoxytriethyleneglycol acrylate)

A series of six poly(ethoxytriethyleneglycol acrylate) (PETEGA) homopolymers were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization, reversible addition-fragmentation transfer polymerization, and anionic polymerization in order to cover a molecular weight range from 7,000 to 40,000 Da. The polymers exhibited a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior in water, which was observed by the occurrence of a cloud point (CP) at around 35 °C. The transmittance of visible light versus temperature dependence overlapped during the cooling and the heating cycles, showing almost a complete lack of hysteresis. Moreover, instead of the occurrence of an uncontrolled macroscopic phase separation, stable colloidal aggregates (mesoglobules) of narrow distribution in particle size were formed in water at temperatures above the LCST of PETEGA at 1 g L⁻¹ solutions. The dimensions of the mesoglobules ranged from 91 to 235 nm, and particle size was not influenced by the molecular weight of PETEGA. Temperature changes caused considerable variations of the mesoglobules dimensions, which were smaller at higher temperatures. The addition of an anionic surfactant simultaneously increased the CP values by 4–6 °C and lowered the dimensions of the mesoglobules.     

Arsenic(V) removal from enargite leach solutions by precipitation of magnesium ammonium arsenate

This study investigated a potential method for the removal of arsenic from enargite leach solution containing 5.86 g/L As(V) by precipitation of magnesium ammonium arsenate (MAA). The experimental results showed the As(V) concentration can be reduced to 1.8 mg/L under the optimum conditions. The molar ratio NH₄/Mg/As in precipitates formed at different pH values was checked by wet chemical analysis, indicating that some of by-products such as Mg₃(AsO₄)₂, Mg(OH)₂, and MgHAsO₄ will be formed at the solution pH above or below pH 9.5. Notably, this study indicated MAA has a better ability for arsenic removal than magnesium arsenate. The precipitates also were characterized by XRD and SEM.     

Cyanide ions transport from aqueous solutions by using quaternary ammonium salts through bulk liquid membranes

Extraction experiments were carried out to determine the suitable solvent and carrier type. Five different solvents and carriers were used and verified. Trichloromethane and tetraoctyl ammonium chlorides were found to be the most appropriate solvent and carrier type for this study. The coupled transport of cyanide ions in aqueous solutions through bulk liquid membrane (BLM) was investigated using various stirring speeds and temperatures. Cyanide ion transport through BLM technique was analyzed according to coupled non-steady state kinetics of two consecutive irreversible first order reactions. The influences of the kinetic parameters (k_1d, k_2m, k_2a, R_m^max, t_max, J_d^max, J_a^max) for the various stirring speeds in the system were established. The removal and recovery efficiencies of the cyanide ions transported from aqueous solutions in 360 min were 99.4 and 82%, respectively. As the stirring speed was increased, both the efficiency of transport and recovery of cyanide ions from aqueous solutions were increased. On the other hand, for maximum membrane entrance (J_d^max) and exit (J_a^max) fluxes the activation energies were calculated as 21.6 kcal/mol and 10.5 kcal/mol, respectively.     

Synthesis and self-association in aqueous media of poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(ethyl glycidyl carbamate) amphiphilic block copolymers

New temperature sensitive AB, ABA, and BAB amphiphilic block copolymers consisting of hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) and hydrophobic poly(ethyl glycidyl carbamate) blocks were synthesized by anionic polymerization followed by chemical modification reactions. The self-association of the block copolymers in aqueous media was studied by UV-vis spectroscopy and dynamic and static light scattering. The obtained block copolymers spontaneously form micelles in aqueous media. The critical micellization concentration varied from 0.5 to 4 g/L depending on the copolymer architecture and composition. The influence of the temperature upon the self-association of the block copolymers was investigated. The increase of temperature did not affect the value of the critical micellization concentration, but led to the formation of better defined micelles with narrow size distribution.     

Thermoreversible hydrogels XIII: Synthesis and swelling behaviors of [N-isopropylacrylamide-co-sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropyl sulfonate-co-N,N-dimethyl(acrylamido propyl) ammonium propane sulfonate] copolymeric hydrogels

A series of copolymeric hydrogels were prepared from various molar ratios of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), sodium-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropyl sulfonate (NaAMPS) and N,N′-dimethyl(acrylamido propyl) ammonium propane sulfonate (DMAAPS). The swelling behaviors of these copolymeric hydrogels were investigated in various saline solutions. The result showed that the phase transition temperatures of these gels changed insignificantly, and the thermosensitivity, in contrast, diminished. In addition, the copolymer gels exhibited polyelectrolytic behavior under lower salt concentration (10⁻⁵∼10⁻¹ M), exhibited a nonionic gel (like NIPAAm) behavior at the salt concentration from 0.1 to 0.4 M, and showed an antipolyelectrolytic behavior (polyzwitterionic effect) at a salt concentration over 0.4 M. Finally, the presented coplymeric gels are investigated for use in drug release application.     

Crosslinking aqueous poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) solutions by persulfate

Aqueous solutions with 1.5 to 6.5 wt-% poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), PVP, are converted to stable gels by reaction with potassium persulfate. Large quantities of persulfate are needed for high-modulus gels, 50% to 150% of the weight of PVP being required typically. The shear modulus G′ can be measured during reaction by making the gel the restoring element in a simple torsion pendulum. The increase in modulus to a maximum plateau value of G′_max can be expressed as a first-order process: Where t is elapsed time of reaction and K increases with the square root of polymer concentration. G′_max varies with the second power of the polymer concentration. It also increases rapidly with increasing temperature of reaction and with persulfate/PVP ratio.     

Simultaneous removal of humic acid and heavy metal from aqueous solutions using charged ultrafiltration membranes

Lab-made negatively charged ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were used for simultaneous removal of humic acid (HA) and heavy metals from water. Effects of the HA/metal ratio, solution pH and ionic strength on rejection coefficients of HA and metals were investigated. The results showed that the rejection coefficients of both HA and metals increase with the increase of pH and the HA/metal ratio, and the decrease of ionic strength. This study indicated that charged UF could be an effective method for the simultaneous removal of HA and heavy metal harnessing the principle of complexation UF and electrostatic repulsion between the membrane and the HA–M complex of the same charges.     

Efficient removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solutions using a modified poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers adsorbent

ABSTRACT

A novel adsorbent was synthesized through functionalization of glycidyl methacrylate-g-poly(ethylene terephthalate) (GMA-g-PET) fibers with iminodiacetic acid (IDA) to give IDA-GMA-g-PET fibers. This adsorbent was then exploited for the removal of Malachite Green (MG) and Rhodamine B (RB) dyes. MG has shown faster adsorption kinetics and equilibrium was attained in 15 mins. and 90 mins. for MG and RB, respectively. IDA-GMA-g-PET fibers showed 100% removal efficiency for MG and RB dyes from the solutions having initial concentrations of 300 mg L^?1and 200 mg L^?1, respectively. Desorption conditions of dyes and reusability of the fibers were also investigated.