Radiation copolymerization of pva/malic acid/ hema / macroalgal (sargassum sp.) biomass for removal of hexavalent chromium

Abstract

Brown macro-algal species (Seaweeds) biomass was collected and treated mechanically to reduce its size, increase its surface area and to polymerize easily with other polymer in a sheet. Polymerized algal cells in the polymer sheet have many advantages such as facilitate harvesting of the biomass in addition to enhanced heavy metals removal, recover from the industrial wastewater and the possibility to reuse application. Co-polymer-sheet of polyvinyl alcohol/ maleic acid/2- hydroxyethyl methacrylate/ Macroalgal biomass (PVA/ MAA /HEMA/ MacAlg) was successfully polymerized using Gamma ray technique. The prepared copolymer sheets were characterized with FT-IR, SEM, XRD and successfully applied to remove hexavalent chromium (VI) from contaminated water. One Factor at a Time (OFAT) experiments were studied for the polymer algal sheets to get the high and the low level that can further used in the Full Factorial Design optimization method. Chromium removal efficiency of 98.4 % was achieved at a concentration of 100 ppm after 3 h contact time. Isotherm and kinetics have been studied.