CEE & ENVE COLLOQUIUM SERIES: Removal of Neutral and Ionic Organic Contaminants by Polymeric Resins – Predictive Modeling and Catalytic Reduction

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ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING SPRING 2016 COLLOQUIUM SERIES

Friday, April 1, 2016 • 12:15 PM • CAST 212

 

Removal of Neutral and Ionic Organic Contaminants by Polymeric Resins – Predictive Modeling and Catalytic Reduction

Huichun (Judy) Zhang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Temple University

 

Abstract: Emerging organic contaminants are a growing concern for water treatment as their presence in the environment continues to grow. The focus of this work was to develop technologies to selectively remove neutral and ionic organic contaminants from water using polymeric resins. Three neutral resins (MN200, XAD-4, and XAD-7), three anion exchange resins (Amberlite IRA-910 and IRA-96, and Purolite A860), and two cation exchange resins (Amberlite 200 and MN500) were examined for the removal mechanisms of various neutral and ionic organic contaminants. The sorption isotherms demonstrated that the ion exchange resins have affinity for compounds in the following order: aromatic ions > aliphatic ions > neutral compounds. This preference is due to the differences in non-electrostatic interactions of the compounds such as their H-bonding capability, affinity for Van der Waals and p-p interactions, and the size of the molecular cavity in solution. Resins’ ion exchange capacity and hydrophilicity are mainly responsible for the observed different sorption behavior of various resins. With the above findings and the development of poly-parameter linear free-energy relationships (pp-LFERs), predictive models were developed to accurately estimate the sorption of various compounds onto all the resins under changing pH conditions. Moreover, predictive models for adsorption of multi-solute mixtures were successfully developed; novel resin-Pd composite materials were synthesized and optimized to achieve selective removal of contaminants and in-situ regeneration of the spent catalyst.