Impact of Metal Source phase concentration and thickness on transportation of heavy metals (Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺) through polymer inclusion membrane using Aliquat 336

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to explore the transport behavior of via polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) containing Aliquat 336 as a carrier for heavy metal ions (Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺).  Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) serves as the primary polymer in this investigation, with 2-NPOE serving as the plasticizer.  Membranes were made with various polymer weights added to them to see how the thickness of the membrane impacts the flow of metal ions.  Furthermore, the effect of the source phase metal ion concentration on transport efficiency was also studied.  Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the membrane's morphology was examined.  Membrane homogeneity, minimal surface roughness, and partial polymer melting were all verified by this method.  The results showed that higher-thickness membranes significantly reduced transport rates, while thinner-thick membranes enabled a higher ion flux.  Additionally, it was common for the transport rates of all three metal ions to rise when the concentration of metal ions in the source phase increased.  Ni²⁺ and Zn²⁺ had the next-highest flow levels, behind Cu²⁺.  The findings show that PIMs with Aliquat 336 are suitable for the efficient and selective transport of, and also provide practical insight into how to change membrane characteristics for better separation performance. heavy metals.