Margarita Huerta

PREPARATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND APPLICATION OF POLY(HYDROXYETHYL METHACRYLATE -co- ACRYLAMIDE) AS NON IONIC WATER-SOLUBLE POLYCHELATOGEN

The free radical copolymerization of soluble poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-acrylamide) was studied in the range 25 to 75 % in the feed. The copolymers compositions were determined from the N/C by elemental analysis. The r1 and r2 were determined by the Kelen Tudos method. The experimental data indicate random comonomer incorporation with alternanting tendency. The separation of various metal ions by the water-soluble poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-acryl amide) reagent in aqueous phase using the Liquid-phase Polymer-based Retention (LPR) was investigated. The method is based on the retention of inorganic ions by this polymer in a membrane filtration cell and subsequent separation of low-molar mass species from the polymer complex formed. It is shown that poly(HEMA-co-AAm) can bind metal ions : Cr(III), Co (II), Zn(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), Hg(II), and Fe(III) in aqueous solution at pH 3, 5, and 7. The inorganic ion interaction with the hydrophilic polymer was determined as a function of pH and filtration factor. In addition, the maximum capacity values of the copolymer for lead (II) were investigated at different pH