Synthesis of Composite Cation Exchange Materials for Industrial Waste Water Treatment

Industrial wastewater contains significant quantities of toxic heavy metal ions that pose serious environmental and health risks. Conventional treatment methods often suffer from limitations such as low selectivity, sludge generation, and high operational costs. Composite cation exchange materials have emerged as effective alternatives due to their high ion exchange capacity, chemical stability, selectivity, and regeneration ability. In the present work, a zirconium phosphate–polyaniline (ZrP-PANI) composite cation exchanger was synthesized through a sol-gel precipitation technique followed by in-situ polymerization. The synthesized material was characterized using FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TGA techniques. The ion exchange capacity, thermal stability, and metal ion removal efficiency were evaluated. The composite exhibited an ion exchange capacity of 2.15 meq g⁻¹ and demonstrated excellent removal efficiency for Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Zn²⁺ ions from industrial wastewater. The results indicate that composite cation exchangers are promising materials for wastewater treatment and environmental remediation.