Boron removal by electrodialysis with anion-exchange membranes

The removal of boron from an aqueous solution was studied in a two-chamber cell separated with a commercial anion-exchange membrane as a function of current density, pH, type of the membrane, concentration and different type of salt solutions. At the end of these studies, the maximum value of boron removal was obtained under the conditions where the maximum current was applied; 0.1 M H3BO3 (pH = 9) and 0.001 M NaCl solutions were used as a catholyte and an anolyte solution, respectively. The AHA membrane was used for separating the two cells used in the electrodialysis experiments. All experiments were carried out at room temperature, and the concentration of boron at the anode cell was determined by ICP-AES. It was concluded that electrodialysis is an appropriate method for boron removal from aqueous solutions under suitable conditions. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.