Study and Investigation on the Parameters Influencing the Performance of Polymeric Nanofiltration Membranes for Treatment of Chromium and Nickel in Electroplating Wastewater

The treatment of electroplating wastewaters is very importance due to the large number of electroplating factories in Iran and generation of considerable amounts of wastewater. Nanofitration is considered as a viable choice for this purpose due to its various advantages. Investigations reveal that the flux and rejection of nanofiltration membranes for chromium and nickel are governed by the membrane formulation and fabrication as well as the process operational conditions. Beside the selection of an appropriate polymer material, modification of the membrane by using nanotubes, nanoparticles, functionalization by hydrophilic polymers, and other techniques can enhance the rejection to greater than 90% and improve the permeate flux to a desirable level. Changing the operating conditions such as pressure, concentration, pH and other parameters can also further improve the membrane performance. The objective of the present article is to investigate and analyze the effect of various influencing parameters involved in the treatment of chromium and nickel in electroplating wastewater using nanofiltration membranes.