Fabrication of Polymer Inclusion Membrane Using Recycled Polyvinyl Chloride as Sustainable Alternative Support Polymer for the Extraction of Zn(<scp>II</scp>) From Water

ABSTRACT Polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs) represent a promising advancement in liquid membrane technology, offering an efficient method for pollutant separation. This study investigates the fabrication of PIMs using recycled polyvinyl chloride (RPVC) as a sustainable alternative to purely synthetic PVC for the extraction of Zn(II) from water. The PIMs were optimized by incorporating RPVC as the supporting polymer and D2EHPA as the extractant. A comprehensive characterization was conducted, including water contact angle, tensile strength, elongation, water absorption capacity, and advanced techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for surface morphology and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for component interactions and thermogravimetric (TG) to evaluate the thermal stability and decomposition behavior. The results demonstrated that the optimal PIM composition (60% RPVC and 40% D2EHPA) exhibited a hydrophilic nature, adequate flexibility, and micro‐channel surface morphology conducive to ion transport. Thermal stability analysis confirmed its robustness at standard operating temperatures, and the extraction tests showed the PIM effectively removed up to 1.950 ± 0.002 mg of Zn(II), equivalent to 36.19 ± 0.04 mg Zn(II)/gram of PIM. Employing RPVC as a support polymer in the fabrication of PIM is cost‐effective, significantly reducing the total production cost, with a 320 mg PIM (60% RPVC and 40% D2EHPA) costing approximately $ 0.211 compared to $ 0.349 when using PVC. These findings highlight the potential of RPVC‐based PIMs as a cost‐effective and sustainable solution for heavy metal extraction in environmental applications.