Effect of crosslinking on the properties and performance of membrane formulated from quaternized chitosan
Norin Zamiah Kassim Shaari (a*), Muhammad Afnan Naim Kamarulzaman (a), Nur Syazwanie Izzati Chik (a)

(a) School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
* norinzamiah[at]uitm.edu.my

Abstract

Surface waters may carry heavy metals over long distances, and their chemical composition changes as they move around according to geographic factors. Among separation methods, adsorption is a common method for removing heavy metals from water due to its low cost, high availability, and being environmentally friendly. Chitosan is widely used as an adsorbent for heavy metals due to the presence of amino and hydroxyl groups. In this research, chitosan is modified through the quaternization process to enhance its adsorption capability. Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TMAB) was used as the quaternizing agent. The quaternized chitosan was then blended with polyvinyl alcohol and polysulfone to produce a membrane, which was then crosslinked with tetraetylorthosilicate. In the production of quaternized chitosan, a fixed loading of quaternizing agent was used but various concentrations of tetraethylorthosilicate as cross-linker were incorporated in the membrane formulation. The formulated membranes were then characterized through Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Analysis, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), and zeta potential. The performances were tested through permeation of water and anti-fouling analysis. Results show that membrane M4 with 0.4wt% TEOS had the best characteristic, particularly on the surface charge and surface morphology with the good antifouling property. The formulated membranes have the potential to be used in water treatment for the heavy metal removal process.

Keywords: Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, quaternized chitosan, membrane, tetraethylorthosilicate

Topic: Polymer Chemistry & Bio-based Materials