Preparation of polyelectrolyte-modified membranes for heavy metal ions removal

ABSTRACTPolyethersulfone membranes were modified by polyelectrolyte (PE) multilayers, made of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) with poly(styrene sulfonate), to remove Cu2+, Zn2+ and Ni2+ heavy metal cations from aqueous solutions in a wide range of metal concentration (50–1200 ppm). After characterization of the modified membranes, the efficiency of the process was estimated for single heavy metal ions solution leading to high rejection rates (>90% for 50 ppm) and good adsorption capacities (7.0–8.5 mg cm−2) whatever the metal ion tested. The stability in time of the modified membranes was proved by repeating successive filtrations with the same membrane. The filtration process was also used …