Novel Poly(Vinylidene Fluoride)/Montmorillonite Polymer Inclusion Membrane: Application to Cr(VI) Extraction from...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Toxic hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) poses a significant environmental and health risk.
• Polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) offer a promising approach for selective ion removal.
• The stability and efficiency of PIMs are often limited by carrier loss and membrane degradation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel hybrid PIMs for effective Cr(VI) ion removal.
• To investigate the influence of incorporating native sodium (CNa) and organo-modified (C30B) Montmorillonites on PIM properties.
• To evaluate the impact of nanoclay incorporation on membrane stability and Cr(VI) transport.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based PIMs incorporating Aliquat 336 ion carrier and Montmorillonite nanoclays (CNa and C30B).
• Characterization of membrane physicochemical properties, including wettability (water contact angle) and rigidity (Young's modulus).
• Investigation of Cr(VI) ion transport through the elaborated PIMs and assessment of membrane stability over multiple cycles.

Main Results:

• Incorporation of CNa Montmorillonite significantly increased PIM rigidity and hydrophobicity compared to C30B.
• PIMs containing CNa exhibited higher Cr(VI) permeation flux (~2.7 µmol/(m²·s)) due to a more porous structure.
• The PIM with 20 wt% CNa demonstrated excellent stability over five transport cycles, attributed to reduced carrier loss.

Conclusions:

• Native sodium Montmorillonite (CNa) incorporation enhances PIM performance for Cr(VI) removal by increasing membrane rigidity and hydrophobicity.
• Nanoclay addition effectively reduces Aliquat 336 carrier loss, extending PIM operational lifetime.
• These findings highlight the potential of nanoparticle-modified PIMs for stable and efficient removal of toxic metal ions.