Polymeric membrane modification by ionizing radiation to be applied for environmental purposes

• Grant number: 11/23426-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: March 01, 2012 - February 28, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Nuclear Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Aurea Beatriz Cerqueira Geraldo
• Grantee: Aurea Beatriz Cerqueira Geraldo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The polymeric membrane processing by irradiation is an efficient method to approach some physical chemical properties like swelling, mechanical and chemical resistance, thermal, process and surface stability. Practical applications of irradiation materials processing have been developed for 60 years. In irradiation grafting initiated process, polymers can be modified by copolymerization of different monomer types. In this work an aluminum selective membrane will be obtained by ionizing radiation modification from a cheap and available polymeric substrate, as polyethylene and polypropylene, which will be grafting with styrene monomer. The aluminum selective membrane will be finally obtained by insertion of salicylic acid molecules onto the referred copolymer by Friedel Crafts acilation. The application of this new material on pre-concentrators of the referred chemical specie and consequently, aluminum removal, is an important factor for aluminum remediation on contaminated environmental areas. The increasing interest of aluminum species study is due its potential cause on kidney and cerebral disturbs. The new material synthesized will be tested in water samples from Billings dam region, one of greater water reservoirs of São Paulo city region, where also, its water is used for drinking. (AU)