Heavy metal removal using hydroxypropyl cellulose and polyacrylamide gels, kinetical study

ABSTRACT In this article we report the removal of Pb, Ni and Cu using a hydrogel made with hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and polyacrylamide (PAAm). The hydrogel successfully removed those metals, as shown by the results of atomic absorption spectroscopy; the polymer removed 53% of Pb, 52% of Ni and 51% of Cu. Different pHs were tried for these polymers. The highest metal removal was found at 40°C. The adsorption kinetics fitted Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Metal particles were detected on the hydrogel with electron microscopy and energy–dispersive X–ray spectroscpy, confirming that the gel removed the metals from the testing solutions. This polymer is a good option for treating wastewater and industrial waters as it removes metals and is composed of nontoxic materials. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43285.