Effective removal of Pb(II), Cd(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous solution by a novel hyper cross-linked nanometer-sized chelating resin

Abstract A novel hyper cross-linked nanometer-sized chelating resin (HCNSCR) was synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The thermal stability of the prepared HCNSCR was also defined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The surface morphology and the porous structure of the resin were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Brunauer- Emmett –Taller (BET). The presence of Zn(II), Cd(II), and Pb(II) with the prepared resin was confirmed by using EDX (Energy Dispersive-X- ray spectroscopy). The sorption capacity of the synthesized HCNSCR towards the three metal ions and the factors affecting their elimination from aqueous solutions like pH effect, metal ion concentration, temperature and contact time were demonstrated by the batch method. The results illustrated that the sorption capacity of the synthesized HCNSCR towards Pb(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II) ions were 1.2, 1 and 0.9 (mmol. g−1) respectively, also the adsorption process was highly pH depended where the optimum PH for pb(II), Cd(II), and Zn(II) was 5.5, 6, 6.3 respectively. The experimental data and the kinetic data of adsorption isotherms indicated that the adsorption process was well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model expresses the adsorption process, also from thermodynamic parameters it was cleared that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic and the process marked with increase in randomness furthermore the resin was regenerated with a minor loss of adsorption capacity after 5 cycles of adsorption and usage.