Reusable composite membranes for highly efficient chromium removal from real water matrixes

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) poses a significant global water pollution threat.
• Current sorbents for Cr(VI) removal are often powdered, hindering cost-effective recovery and reuse.
• Developing efficient and reusable Cr(VI) water treatment technologies is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To immobilize Al(OH)3, MIL-88-B(Fe), and UiO-66-NH2 sorbents into a poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) matrix.
• To create a reusable and easily reactivable water filtering technology for Cr(VI) removal.
• To evaluate the performance of the immobilized sorbents in real water effluents.

Main Methods:

• Immobilization of Al(OH)3, MIL-88-B(Fe), and UiO-66-NH2 sorbents within a PVDF-HFP porous membrane.
• Characterization of the modified porous structure and wettability of the composite membranes.
• Testing the Cr(VI) adsorption capacity, reusability, and functionality in real water samples.

Main Results:

• Immobilization altered the macro/mesoporous structure and wettability of the PVDF-HFP matrix.
• PVDF-HFP/UiO-66-NH2 composite membrane surpassed the adsorption capacity of the non-immobilized sorbent.
• Al(OH)3 and MIL-88-B(Fe) immobilization showed a partial decrease in Cr(VI) adsorption capacity.
• The PVDF-HFP/UiO-66-NH2 filter demonstrated excellent reusability and effectiveness in real water effluents.

Conclusions:

• PVDF-HFP/UiO-66-NH2 composite membranes offer a promising solution for efficient and reusable Cr(VI) water remediation.
• Immobilization into PVDF-HFP provides a practical approach to overcome the limitations of powdered sorbents.
• This technology shows potential for real-world application in treating hexavalent chromium-contaminated water.