Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) was grafted by acrylic acid (AA), and a mixture of acrylic acid (AA) and Acrylamide (Am) with two different AA/Am composition ratios (70/30 & 30/70) to produce HEC-g-AA (copolymer I), and of HEC-g-AA-Am copolymers (copolymer II & copolymer III) respectively, using potassium persulphate/ sodium bisulphate as redox initiation system at 65oC for 1hr. The obtained grafted copolymers were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FFTIR), Thermo Gravimetric analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The optimal conditions for removal of Ni from aqueous solutions using the prepared copolymers were studied through variation of pH, agitation time, and metal ion concentrations. The obtained data clarified that the optimum heavy metal removals were significantly dependent on the sorbent type. For the studied sorbent type it was found that the removal efficiency of Ni from aqueous solution follows the sequence: HEC-g-AA (I) > HEC-g-AA-Am (II) > HEC-g-AA-Am (III). At optimum conditions of metal removal it was found that 94.6%, 91.2% and 86.1% of Ni ion was removed using I, II & III copolymers respectively.

Full text: IJEIR_1602_Final.pdf