Selective sorption of Fe(II) ions over Cu(II) and Cr(VI) ions by cross-linked graft copolymers of chitosan with acrylic acid and binary vinyl monomer mixtures.

Low-cost and environment-friendly polymeric adsorbents for sorption of heavy metal ions were synthesized by simultaneous graft copolymerization and cross-linking of acrylic acid alone and with comonomers glycidyl methacrylate, acrylamide and acrylonitrile onto chitosan using free radical initiator and cross-linker in aqueous medium. Structural aspects of cross-linked graft copolymers have been characterized by FTIR, SEM, TGA/DTA, XRD and swelling behavior at pH 2.2, 7.0 and 9.4. An attempt has been made to study sorption of Cr(VI), Cu(II) and Fe(II) ions on cross-linked graft copolymers by equilibration method and to establish a relationship between structural aspects of graft copolymers and metal ion uptake efficiency and selectivity. Solutions of individual ions were used for non-competitive sorption onto synthesized bio-adsorbents as a function of change in contact time, temperature, pH and metal ion concentration in feed. Competitive sorption investigation was performed from an aqueous solution of ternary metal ions by batch equilibration at 25°C and at 7.0pH. Cross-linked graft copolymers showed better results than unmodified chitosan and showed preferential sorption of Fe(II) ions than Cu(II) and Cr(VI) ions.