Preparation and cesium adsorption behavior of Prussian blue-based polypropylene nonwoven fabric by surfactant-assisted aqueous preirradiation graft polymerization

Abstract

In this research, we demonstrate the environmentally benign and efficient preparation of poly(acrylic acid)-grafted hydrophobic non-woven polypropylene fabric (PP-g-PAA) by pre-irradiation graft polymerization in the presence of surfactant and its further use in the fabrication of Prussian blue (PB)-immobilized adsorbent (PP-g-PAA-PB) for the decontamination of Cs+. The grafting degree and staining results revealed that incorporation of 0.5 wt% of the surfactant produced a uniform PP-g-PAA (with the grafting degree from 19% to 172%) even at the lower aqueous monomer concentrations ranging from 2 to 8 wt%. From the physicochemical analytical results, it was confirmed that the homogenous introduction of PAA and immobilization of crystalline PB only on the hydrophobic PP fibers while preserving the intrinsic porous structure of the PP fabric. Moreover, the PP-g-PAA-PB adsorbent exhibited the good adsorption capacity compared to that of powder-type commercial PB adsorbent, considering its one-seventh lower loading PB amount in the Cs+ adsorption test than that of commercial PB. Therefore, this radiation-induced graft polymerization strategy could offer a promising way for environmentally benign and efficient surface functionalization of various hydrophobic polymers for use in various environmental and biological applications.