Separation of heavy metals from dilute solutions using D2EHPA carrier fixed onto the outer surface of coaxially electrospun core-sheath fibers

In this study, porous membranes based on core-sheath fibers covered with fixed carriers were prepared by coaxial electrospinning for the separation of heavy metal ions from dilute solutions. Cellulose triacetate (CTA) and an extractant di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) were mixed to prepare a sheath-layer solution and poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) was adopted to prepare a core-layer solution for electrospinning. The morphological and textural properties as well as chemical composition of the fabricated core-sheath fibers were first analyzed to determine the optimal preparation conditions. The ability and selectivity of such fixed D2EHPA carriers were evaluated via the adsorption of Zn2+, Cu2+, and Ni2+ ions from dilute solutions. Dynamic tests revealed that the adsorption of metal ions on the core-sheath fibrous membrane made of 52 wt% PVDF-HFP, 18 wt% D2EHPA, and 30 wt% CTA (on a dry basis) reached equilibrium within 8 h. As expected, all adsorption isotherms at specific equilibrium pH values were well described by the Langmuir equation, ascribed to the chemical reaction nature between metal ions and D2EHPA carrier. The crossflow permeation-adsorption tests of a multi-metal solution in a total recycling mode revealed the adsorption selectivity of Zn2+ over Cu2+ and Ni2+, as observed in conventional liquid–liquid extraction. Four repeated adsorption-regeneration experiments revealed an adsorption efficiency beyond 95 % relative to the first route, demonstrating the satisfactory reusability and stability of the as-prepared core-sheath fibrous membranes for this purpose.