High-impact polystyrene/polyaniline membranes for acid solution treatment by electrodialysis: Preparation, evaluation, and chemical calculation

In this study different membranes were produced, aiming to evaluate their use in electrodialysis. These membranes were produced using conventional polymer (high-impact polystyrene) and polyaniline. The membrane characterization was done by FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetry (TGA). The studies of the zinc and proton extraction ionic transport through the membranes were evaluated using a three-compartment cell. The results obtained using the produced membranes were compared to the results obtained with the commercial membrane Nafion 450. It was found that a synthesized membrane can be used to recover zinc in acid media. In addition, a preliminary computational essay about the structures of PAni and CSA is presented.

The performance of HIPS/PAni-CSA and Nafion commercial membrane was compared, when used treatment of zinc solutions. Complementary, we have performed structure calculations to study experimental phenomena involved during ionic transport.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide