Radiation-induced graft polymerization and sulfonation of glycidyl methacrylate on to porous hollow-fiber membranes with different pore sizes

An epoxy group containing monomer, glycidyl methacrylate, was grafted on to a porous hollow-fiber membrane, made of polyethylene, whose different pore sizes ranged from 0.2 to 0.5 mu m. The resulting epoxy group was converted into a sulfonic acid group as a cation-exchange group to capture metal ions. The porous network was retained after grafting and subsequent sulfonation because the poly-GMA chains invaded the polymer matrix. An increase in the SO3H group density of the graft chain decreased the permeability of pure water because the graft chains expanded toward the pore interior due to their mutual electrostatic repulsion. The ion-exchange adsorption of Pb ions during the permeation of a Pb(NO3)(2) solution through the pores edged by the cation-exchange graft chains was observed with a negligible diffusional mass-transfer resistance. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.