Metal removal from aqueous media by polymer-assisted ultrafiltration with chitosan

Abstract

Polymer assisted ultrafiltration (PAUF) is a relatively new process in water and wastewater treatment and the subject of an increasing number of papers in the field of membrane science. Among the commercial polymers used, poly(ethyleneimine) and poly(acrylic acid) are the most popular to complex numerous metal ions. Recently, there is an increasing interest in the use of chitosan, a natural linear polymer, as chelating agent for complexing metals. Chitosan has a high potential in wastewater treatment mainly due to its polyelectrolyte properties at acidic pH. The objectives of this review are to present the PAUF process and to highlight the advantages gained from the use of chitosan in the process of complexation–ultrafiltration. For this, a PAUF-based literature survey has been compiled and is discussed. From these data, chitosan, a biopolymer that is non-toxic to humans and the environment, is found to be effective in removing metal ions and exhibits high selectivity. It might be a promising polyelectrolyte for PAUF purposes.