Open AccessRemoval of heavy metal ions by porous sepiolite‐based membrane
Author(s) -
Zhou Ji,
Fan Zhenyu,
Tian Qiong,
Zhao Shijun,
Jiang Yong
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
micro and nano letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.25
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1750-0443
DOI - 10.1049/mnl.2020.0232
Subject(s) - sepiolite , adsorption , membrane , materials science , porosity , chemical engineering , metal ions in aqueous solution , pollution , electrospinning , metal , chemistry , composite material , metallurgy , polymer , engineering , organic chemistry , raw material , ecology , biochemistry , biology
Natural clay sepiolite with high specific surface area and unique porous structure exhibits great potential for application in the fields of water treatment. However, the adsorption methods suffer from some drawbacks, such as the production of toxic sludge and secondary pollution. Electrospinning technology has been widely employed to fabricate porous composite fibres. Thus, the authors design a high‐efficiency electrospun polyurethane/sepiolite membrane that can remove heavy metal ions from drinking water. This kind of sepiolite‐based membrane not only exhibits high absorption capacity of Cr, Cd, As and Mn, but also offers several advantages such as minimising the risk of secondary pollution. Sepiolite‐based membrane shows great potential for applications including urgent drinking‐water treatment, field survival and disaster rescue.