THE FABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY(METHYLMETHACRYLATE) (PMMA) MEMBRANE MODIFIED BY MOLECULARLY IMPRINTED POLYMERS (MIPS) FOR SEPARATION OF HUMIC ACID FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTION

• Main Author: RAHAYU PUTRI (NIM:20516042), TIKA
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/31323
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Peat water is one of surface water resources in the swampland which is generally found in Sumatera and <br /> <br /> Kalimantan. It has color range as dark brown up to black and tends to be acid. One of the largest organic compounds <br /> <br /> contained in peat water is humic acid. It is a chemical compound with high molecular weight, complex structure, <br /> <br /> and contains phenolic and carboxylic functional groups, and also builds complex compounds by binding to heavy <br /> <br /> metals in the environment. The formation of these complex compounds caused water and soil pollutions which were <br /> <br /> dangerous to human life and their environment. One of strategies for treating the peat water was achieved by <br /> <br /> reducing the presence of humic acid utilizing membrane technology using molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) <br /> <br /> materials. The humic acid-MIPs were synthesized using microwave assisted organic synthesis (MAOS) method. The <br /> <br /> process utilized methyl methacrylate (MMA) as monomer, ethylenglycoldimethylmethacrylate (EGDMA) as <br /> <br /> crosslink agent, benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as initiator, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as solvent, and humic acid as <br /> <br /> molecular mold for synthesizing the humic acid-MIPs. In addition, the non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) were <br /> <br /> produced as the comparison material to the humic acid-MIPs, without using molecular mold of humic acid. Then, <br /> <br /> the characterization for humic acid-MIPs was performed using spectroscopy methods such as Fourier Transform <br /> <br /> Infrared (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Electron Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). The FTIR <br /> <br /> characterization represented the similarity of FTIR spectra between humic acid-MIPs and non Imprinted polymers <br /> <br /> (NIPs). On the other hand, SEM analysis informed the probability of the pore formation on the surface of humic <br /> <br /> acid-MIPs was greater than NIPs materials. The poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) membrane modified by humic <br /> <br /> acid-MIPs have been fabricated by dissolving the poly(methylmethacrylate) polymer into tetrahydrofuran (THF), <br /> <br /> and subsequently dispersing humic acid-MIPs into 20% (w/v) PMMA as filler solution, then the membrane was <br /> <br /> casted via inversion phase method on to the glass plate. After that, it was left out at air room and was soaked in <br /> <br /> coagulant bath (aquades). The characterization of the membranes was performed to study its permeability properties <br /> <br /> and to analyze its FTIR spectra. The FTIR spectra of membranes indicated that there was no significant distinction <br /> <br /> between PMMA and PMMA-MIPs membranes because of their constituent monomer of humic acid-MIPs was <br /> <br /> identical to the membrane polymers. The morphology analysis of PMMA and PMMA-MIPs membranes illustrated <br /> <br /> that both membranes have different pore size, thus it can be concluded that the producing membrane in this study <br /> <br /> was asymmetric membrane. The membrane flux was gradually increased by increasing of given pressure. The flux <br /> <br /> value of PMMA-MIPs was higher than PMMA membranes. According to the result, the water permeability values <br /> <br /> for PMMA, PMMA-MIPs membrane were 9.402 Lm-2h-1bar-1 and 32.142 Lm-2h-1bar-1, respectively. The PMMA <br /> <br /> membrane showed the rejection value as 68.99% at pH 5, whereas the PMMA-MIPs membrane displayed the <br /> <br /> percentage for rejection as 76.62% at pH 3. The backwash of membrane using 0.1 M NaOH solution improved the <br /> <br /> membrane flux. The flux value of PMMA membrane has enhancement up to 82.85% from its original state after <br /> <br /> backwash, while the flux value of PMMA-MIPs increased up to 31.24% from its original state.