Amine-modified maleic anhydride containing terpolymers for the adsorption of uranyl ion in aqueous solutions

Maleic anhydride–styrene–methyl methacrylate (MA–S–MM) terpolymer was prepared. It was modified by ethylenediamine (EDA) and diethylenetriamine (DETA) in order to get cross-linked polymers bearing carboxyl and amine groups. Modified polymers used as an adsorbent for the removal of UO 2 2+ from water. The characterizations of structures of all the polymers were performed by Fourier transform infrared. The adsorptive features of adsorbents were then investigated for UO 2 2+ in view of dependency on ion concentration, pH, temperature and kinetics. Experimentally obtained isotherms were evaluated with reference to Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin–Radushkevich models. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity for UO 2 2+ was found to be 1.59 and 2.43 mol kg −1 for EDA–MA–S–MM and DETA–MA–S–MM, respectively. It can be said that the new modified polymers prepared in our laboratory have been suggested as new adsorbents for uranyl ions.