Hydroxyapatite/polyurethane composite membranes for lead ions removal

Abstract

This work describes the preparation of a hydroxyapatite/polyurethane composite membrane and their characteristics. The porous hydroxyapatite/polyurethane composite membranes were made via solvent casting process. The deposited hydroxyapatite layers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The data suggest that the method utilized in this work can be applied to obtain deposition of coating of crystalline hydroxyapatite on porous polyurethane. The capacity of polyurethane/hydroxyapatite composite membranes for removal of lead ions from aqueous solution was investigated. Polyurethane/hydroxyapatite composite membrane has shown a certain ability to retain Pb2+ ions from aqueous solutions. Polyurethane/hydroxyapatite composite membrane was effective in removing Pb2+ ions from solutions with minimum of 80 % Pb removed. The effective removal of Pb from aqueous solution suggests that porous polyurethane/hydroxyapatite composite membranes have the potential to immobilize Pb2+ ions in lead-contaminated wastes.