Removal of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions by Reaction Products from Poly (methyl acrylate) and Amino Acids

Water-soluble polymers were prepared by the reaction of poly (methyl acrylate) (PMA) with thiols such as α-thioglycerine (TG), 2-mercaptoethanol (ME) or 2-mercaptoethylamine (MEA) in the presence of sodium hydroxide. These polymers reacted with copper (II) ion in a dilute aqueous solution to form complexes which had a good foaming ability. The visible spectra of these complexes changed slightly with pH. Copper (II) ion was removed efficiently from the aqueous solution by means of foam treatment around pH 7 at which the complex solution gave absorption maximum. More than 97% of copper and more than 99.9% of nickel, cobalt, manganese and cadmium were removed by the foam treatment.