Ces travaux de thèse ont débuté par la présentation des propriétés physico-chimiques du chrome, ses principaux domaines d'application. On a aussi indiqué les problèmes posés et les risques associés à l'emploi des dérivés chromiques qui s'expriment essentiellement au niveau cutané, respiratoire et même immunologique. Ensuite, on a cité les différents procédés d'élimination tels que les procédés membranaires, procédés chimiques, procédés biologiques et procédés physiques en précisant les avantages et inconvénients de chacun de ces procédés. Après, on a présenté le procédé d'adsorption sur alumine activée, en rappelant brièvement les différents adsorbants utilisés ainsi que les modèles thermodynamiques et cinétiques utilisés pour décrire ce phénomène. Enfin, on a rappelé quelques généralités sur les membranes échangeuses d'ions et sur le procédé de dialyse ionique croisée. Dans une seconde étape, on a étudié la validation de la technique analytique selon la norme Française XPT 90-120, ensuite une étude préliminaire de l'influence des différents paramètres selon le plan d'expérimentation factorielle afin de montrer l'influence de chaque paramètre indépendamment et leurs dépendances aussi. Ces facteurs sont les suivants : pH, quantité de l'adsorbant, concentration du métal initial et de la température. Cette étude a porté sur l'effet du pH mais aussi l'effet de la masse de l'alumine activée et l'effet de la concentration initiale du chrome afin d'optimiser ces paramètres, les résultats expérimentaux ont montré que l'adsorption du chrome dépend essentiellement du pH et de la concentration du chrome initiale. Dans les conditions optimales, les taux d'élimination du chrome VI peuvent attendre 98 % pour une concentration initiale de 10 mg/L en chrome. Les résultats expérimentaux ont été appliqués aux modèles de Freundlich, Langmuir, Dubinin-Redushkevich et Temkin. Des études cinétique et thermodynamiques suivront pour déterminer l'ordre de la réaction d'adsorption des métaux lourds et nature exothermique du mécanisme. La troisième partie a porté sur la Dialyse Ionique Croisée, dans un premier temps on a développé une étude préliminaire de l'influence des différents paramètres selon le plan d'expérimentation effectué afin d'identifier et d'évaluer l'influence de chaque paramètre sur les taux d'élimination de l'ion métallique. Ces facteurs sont la concentration initiale de l'ion métallique, la concentration initiale de l'ion de substitution, le type de la membrane et l'agitation magnétique. Cette démarche est nécessaire afin de fixer les paramètres optimaux et évaluer leurs interactions mutuelles. Cette étude a permis de montrer que le type de membrane échangeuse d'anions est le plus important paramètre influant sur l'élimination du chrome et ceci peut s'expliquer par les valeurs élevées de la capacité d'échange et de la teneur en eau de la membrane AFN. La modélisation du transfert des ions HCrO4- en dialyse ionique croisée a montré la présence de deux phases : la couche limite de diffusion du côté de l'alimentation (solution à traiter contant les ions HCrO4-) et la membrane. En deuxième étape, nous avons effectué une étude du vieillissement des membranes, qui consiste à faire un suivie de l'épaisseur membranaire, de la conductivité membranaire et de leur morphologie par MEB. Nous avons montré que les membranes AMV et AFN se dégradent peu à priori de la même manière. Finalement, nous avons effectué un nouveau montage qui couple les deux procédés et ceci dans le but d'améliorer le taux d'élimination. Ce couplage a permis d'augmenter l'efficacité et la cinétique d'échange de la dialyse, en plus une réduction considérable de la quantité d'alumine activée à régénérer et l'amélioration de la cinétique de transfert transmembranaire / The removal of chromium (VI) from aqueous solutions by activated alumina has been investigated as a function of solution pH, initial chromium concentration, adsorbent dose of activated alumina and temperature. The pH and the adsorbent dose of activated alumina are the most significant parameters affecting chromium (VI) adsorption. The chromium concentrations were analyzed by reaction with 1,5-diphenylcarbazide. This method has been validated according to the French standard XPT-90-210. In order to optimize the effect of the main parameters and their mutual interaction for the adsorption process, a full factor design of the type nk has been used. In this study the removal of chromium (VI) by adsorption on activated alumina was investigated and results were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Redushkevich and Temkin adsorption models, at different temperatures. The constants of each model were evaluated depending on temperature. Thermodynamic parameters for the adsorption system were determined at 10, 25 and 40°C. The obtained values showed that Cr (VI) adsorption is a spontaneous and exothermic process. The kinetic process was evaluated by first–order, second–order and Elovich kinetic models. In second section, the removal of chromium (VI) from aqueous solutions by Donnan dialysis has been investigated. The tows AEMs: Selemion AMV and Neosepta AFN. The amount of chromium removed was determined on the basis of the following parameters: initial chromium concentration, type of anion exchange membranes, co-ion concentration and magnetic stirring. A 24 full factorial design analysis was performed to screen the parameters affecting Cr (VI) removal efficiency were examined. Using the experimental results, a linear mathematical model representing the influence of the different parameters and their interactions was obtained. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), F-test and student's t- test showed that the type of anion exchange membrane is the most significant parameter affecting chromium (VI) removal. The statistical analysis of experimental data assumes that the data come from normal distribution. Then, a modelisation of chromium removal by Donnan dialysis through anion exchange membrane, these results are compared with the theoretical predictions given by the resolution of the corrected Nernst–Planck's equation in the cases of the homogeneous models of ion-exchange membranes. This confrontation confirms the existence of three domains corresponding respectively to a complete diffusion boundary layers (DBLs) control, a mixed control and a complete membrane control of the inter-diffusion process. And finally, the Donnan dialysis and adsorption onto activated alumina has been coupled. The coupling DIC-AAA was successfully achieved with 90% of chromium removed

Acid/base and metal ion adsorption properties have been investigated for a range of chemically modified bleached Kraft fibre materials (pulps). The studies were performed via potentiometric titrations, Flame Atomic Absorbtion (and Emission) Spectroscopy, Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy and Extended X-ray Absorbtion Fine Structure measurements. As a result of a chemical modification procedure, the total concentration of acidic carboxylate groups in the fibre materials ranged between 43 and 590 μmol/g. The preferable surface potential model for modelling the ionic strength dependent acid/base properties of fibre materials with low charge densities, i.e. unmodified fully bleached Kraft fibre materials, was found to be the Basic Stern Model. For fibre materials with high total charge, ≳100 μmol/g, this model resulted in poor fits to data, and for such materials a number of Constant Capacitance Models, one at each ionic strength, must be recommended. With respect to metal ion adsorption, the results have indicated that the unspecific Donnan theory could correctly model the simultaneous adsorption of several metal ions, i.e. K+, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+ and Cu2+, provided that the salt concentration in the fibre suspension is low. In suspensions of high salt concentration it was, however, found that this very same model strongly underestimated the adsorption of Ca2+ and Cu2+. Here, the Donnan model had to be complemented by specific ion exchange equilibria. These results were corroborated by spectroscopic evidence of specific interactions between Cu2+-ions and fibres. The spectroscopic indication of a complex formed between two fibre surface carboxylate groups and one Cu2+-ion, agree with the specific ion exchange model. It was therefore concluded that specific metal ionfibre interactions cannot be neglected, especially at high salt concentrations. The interactions occurring between the polycation GaO4Al12(OH)24(H2O)127+ and fibre materials were studied by both adsorption and spectroscopic measurements. These indicate that GaO4Al12(OH)24(H2O)127+ is surprisingly stable in fibre suspensions and that intact GaO4Al12(OH)24(H2O)127+- ions are strongly adsorbed onto the fibres. Also for this ion, specific interactions has to be considered, since the strong adsorption registered was too strong to be explained by Donnan equilibria. In the thesis, the stochiometric composition and an equilibrium constant characterising these interactions is presented.

Proton channels are essential for many of the processes of life. The influenza A viral protein M2 is responsible for sensing the conditions necessary for viral RNA release. The proton-translocating FoF1 ATPase (ATP synthase) uses a proton gradient to drive adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. We have directly measured proton uptake in vesicles containing reconstituted M2 or FO by monitoring external pH after addition of valinomycin to vesicles with 100-fold diluted external [K+]. This proton flux assay was utilized to quantify proton flux through single M2 and Fo channels. Contrary to previous reports, proton uptake by M2 was not significantly altered by acidification of the extravesicular pH. We conclude that pH only weakly affects proton flux through M2 in the pH range of 5.4 - 7.0. Theoretical analysis utilized for such vesicle uptake assays illuminates the appropriate time scale of the initial slope and an important limitation that must be placed on inferences about channel ion selectivity. The rise in pH over 10 seconds after ionophore addition yielded time-averaged single channel conductances of 0.35±0.2 aS and 0.72±0.4 aS at pH 5.4 and 7.0 respectively. Such a low time-average conductance implies that M2 is only conductive 10^-6 to 10^-4 of the time. M2 selectivity for hydrogen over potassium is ~10^7. Fo translocates protons across membranes, converting electrochemical energy to rotational inertia. Previous experiments have been partially confounded by a contaminating channel, CL, which co-purifies with Fo and leaks cations. CL activity is shown to not decrease following deletion of the previously uncharacterized yraM open reading frame of E. coli. Fo purified from a deletion strain lacking yraM is just as active as Fo purified from the wild-type strain. Using Fo from the deletion strain, the single-hit hypothesis of DCCD inhibition of passive proton flux through Fo was examined. A DCCD-induced reduction in ATP synthase activity correlates with a reduction in the total initial slope, the number of functional Fo per µg protein, and the single channel proton flux. At least 2 DCCD per Fo are required to totally inactivate passive proton flux. M2 and Fo have similar single channel conductances but different open probabilities.