Abstract

Modifying polypropylene membranes with interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) through the incorporation of poly(glycidyl methacrylate-N-methyl-D-glucamine)(P(GMA-NMG)) was performed by in situ synthesis via radical polymerization. The surface of the polypropylene membrane was activated by hydrophilic grafted polyelectrolyte, and then, pressure injection was used for the impregnation of the reactive solution in the membrane.Two types of pore-filled membranes were synthesized, chelating interpenetrating homopolymer networks of P(GMA-NMG), and chelating-ion exchange interpenetrating polymer networks (e.g., P(GMA-NMG)/P(AA), P(GMA-NMG)/P(AMPSA), and P(GMA-NMG)/P(ClVBTA)). After their synthesis, the modified polypropylene membranes were characterized using techniques such as the electrokinetic potential, SEM, FT-IR, and Donnan dialysis to corroborate the chromium ion transport. The P(GMA-NMG) and complex network membranes exhibited a hydrophilic character with a water-uptake capacity between 20% and 35% and a percentage of modification between 4.0% and 7.0% in comparison with the behavior of the unmodified polypropylene membrane. Hexavalent chromium ions were efficiently transported from the food chamber at pH 9.0 when the 65.2% MTA1 P(ClVBTA) homopolymer IPN membrane and 48.5% MTAG P(GMA-NMG)/P(ClVBTA) IPN membrane were used. Similarly, hexavalent chromium ions were removed from the food chamber at pH 3.0 when MTAG (63.30%) and MTA1 (35.68%) were used in 1 mol·L− 1 NaCl solution as the extraction reagent.