Affiliation:
1. Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology, India
Abstract
Polymers play an important role in water purification due to advantages such as the enhanced capacity of the treatment plant, the lowering of sludge production compared to inorganic coagulants, etc. The formation of clay/polymer complex during the coagulation-flocculation process facilitates the removal of toxic pollutants from water. Although polymers have been utilized in the coagulation-flocculation processes, there is not much information about the relationship between polymer structure and treatment performance. The use of polymers as membranes is mainly due to their flexibility, ease of handling, and cost-effectiveness compared to inorganic membranes. However, they also have some disadvantages, such as chemical attacks, membrane fouling, etc. Therefore, recent studies have focused on improving chemical resistance, antifouling properties, etc. through blending and surface modification. This chapter will review the applications of various polymers in water purification, the deficiencies of current membranes, and possible ways of improving them with novel polymer chemistry.