SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND POLYCHELATOGENIC PROPERTIES OF POLY(ACRYLIC ACID-CO-ACRYLAMIDE)

The radical copolymerization of acrylic acid with acrylamide was carri ed out at different monomer ratios in solution (DMF) at 60 degrees C. The corresponding homopolymers were also synthesized to compare their metal ion binding abilities. All the copolymers were characterized by elemental analysis. The metal ion binding properties of these water-so luble polymers with Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), Pb(II), Hg (II), Fe(III), and Cr(III) ions were investigated in aqueous solution using the Liquid-Phase Polymer-Based Retention (LPR) technique. Poly(a crylic acid-co-acrylamide) showed a higher retention compared to the h omopolymers for all the metal ions except of Hg(II), which was not ret ained. Besides, the retention of Cd(LI) is higher than that an additio n of the retention of both homopolymers. It may be attributed to a syn ergic effect. Maximum capacity for Cu(II) at pH 5.0 was determined to be 1 mmol g(-1) (63.5 mg g(-1)). (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.