본 연구에서는 수계 내 포함된 양이온들 중 특히 중금속 이온을 효율적으로 분리할 수 있는 양이온 교환막을 개 발하였다. 기저 고분자로는 sulfonated polyetheretherketone (SPEEK)를 사용하였으며 이에 중금속 이온에 결합력이 강한 킬 레이팅 수지를 파우더링하여 첨가하였다. 또한 양이온 교환막의 성능을 최적화시키기 위해 킬레이팅 수지의 함량 및 SPEEK 의 이온교환용량을 제어하였다. 결과적으로 제조된 양이온 교환막을 막 축전식 탈염 공정(membrane capacitive deionization, MCDI)에 적용한 결과 중금속 이온 제거 효율이 20% 이상 향상됨을 확인할 수 있었다.

Competitive solvent extraction of the mixure of alkali metal and alkaline earth cation from water into organic solvent containing the crown ether carboxylic acid and anlogous crown ether phosphonic acid was investigated as follows. The lipophilic group is found to strongly influence to the selective extraction in the mixed systems from only alkali metal cation for sym-(n-decyldibenzo)-16-crown-5-oxyacetic acid _1 to mostly alkaline earth metal cation for sym-bis[4(5)-tert-butylbenzo]-16-crown-5-oxyacetic acid _3. Monoethyl sym-(n-decyldibenzo)-16-crown-5-oxymethylphosphonic acid _2. and monoethyl-sym- bis]4(5)-tert-butylbenzo]-16-crown-5-oxymethylphosphonic acid _4 showed good selectivity for Na+ over Mg2+, the second extracted ion. Structural variation in the crown ether phosphonic acid somewhat was influenced to the extraction selectivity in the mixed systems. when variation of the ionized group is influenced in the mixed systems, the selectivity of Na+ as the second extracted ion was much better crown ether carboxylic acid _1 than crown ether phosphonic acid _2, while the efficiency of Na+ extraction was better _2 (83% total loading) than _1 (32%).