Synthesis of DMEA-Grafted Anion Exchange Membrane for Adsorptive Discharge of Methyl Orange from Wastewaters

Muhammad Imran Khan; Abdallah Shanableh; Javier Fernandez; Mushtaq Hussain Lashari; Shabnam Shahida; Suryyia Manzoor; Shagufta Zafar; Aziz Ur Rehman; Noureddine Elboughdiri

doi:10.3390/membranes11030166

Synthesis of DMEA-Grafted Anion Exchange Membrane for Adsorptive Discharge of Methyl Orange from Wastewaters

Membranes (Basel). 2021 Feb 27;11(3):166. doi: 10.3390/membranes11030166.

Authors

Muhammad Imran Khan¹, Abdallah Shanableh¹, Javier Fernandez², Mushtaq Hussain Lashari³, Shabnam Shahida⁴, Suryyia Manzoor⁵, Shagufta Zafar⁶, Aziz Ur Rehman⁷, Noureddine Elboughdiri^{8

9}

Affiliations

¹ Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
² Warwick Manufacturing Group, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
³ Department of Zoology, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, University of Poonch, Rawalakot 12350, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.
⁵ Institute of Chemical Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan.
⁶ Department of Chemistry, The Government Sadiq College Women University, Bahawalpur 63000, Pakistan.
⁷ Department of Chemistry, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan.
⁸ Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Ha'il, P.O. Box 2440, Ha'il 81441, Saudi Arabia.
⁹ Chemical Engineering Process Department, National School of Engineering Gabes, University of Gabes, Gabes 6011, Tunisia.

Abstract

This manuscript describes the synthesis of dimethylethanolamine (DMEA)-grafted anion exchange membrane (AEM) by incorporating dimethylethanolamine as ion-exchange content into the polymer matrix via the solution casting method. The synthesis of the DMEA-grafted AEM was demonstrated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The prepared DMEA-grafted AEM exhibited higher thermal stability, homogeneous morphology, water uptake (W_R) of 115%, and an ion exchange capacity (IEC) of 2.70 meq/g. It was used for the adsorptive removal of methyl orange (MO) from an aqueous solution via batch processing. The effect of several operating factors, including contact time, membrane dosage, initial concentration of aqueous dye solution, and temperature on the percentage discharge of MO and adsorption capacity, was evaluated. Experimental data for adsorption of MO onto the DMEA-grafted AEM was analyzed with two parameter and three parameter nonlinear adsorption isotherm models but fitted best using a nonlinear Freundlich isotherm. Adsorption kinetics were studied by using several models, and attained results showed that experimental data fitted well to pseudo-second-order kinetics. A thermodynamic study showed that adsorption of MO onto the prepared DMEA-grafted AEM was an endothermic process. Moreover, it was a feasible and spontaneous process.

Keywords: DMEA; adsorption; anion exchange membrane; endothermic process; methyl orange; pseudo-second-order model.