EFFECT OF GAMMA-IRRADIATION ON THE METAL SORPTION AND SEPARATION OF SOME DIVALENT METALS BY SOME NEW POLYMERIC BIFUNCTIONAL RESINS

The metal sorption and separation of some divalent metals from solutio ns of varying acidity by a new series of gamma-irradiated ionic polyme r resins have been investigated. Three polymeric resins, viz., phospho nic acid, phosphonate monoethyl ester, and phosphonate diethyl/monoeth yl ester, were used in this study. The results of metal sorption and s eparation were compared with those of the well-known cation exchange r esin Dowex X8. The results were correlated in the usual manner of dist ribution coefficients (D) of three divalent metals Sr(II), Co(II) and Ni(II). The results of metal sorption by the ionic resins under invest igation compared with that of sulfonic acid resin, showed that Ni show ed the highest affinity for the unirradiated monoethyl ester/phosphoni c acid resin, while Sr showed the highest affinity for phosphonic acid resin and Co showed the highest affinity for mono/diethyl ester phosp honic acid resin. Moreover, the three metals (Sr, Co, Ni) showed the l owest affinity toward sulfonic acid resin. The calculated separation f actors for the different resins indicate that the unirradiated phospho nic acid resin has the highest capacity to separate Sr from Ni, wherea s mono/diethyl ester/phosphonic acid resins have the highest capacity to separate Co from Sr and Ni. Furthermore, the affinity of the ionic polymers for the metal ions was not greatly changed after gamma irradi ation. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.