Study on the synthesis and properties of an environmentally friendly water treatment agent

Abstract

An environment-friendly and effective polymer IA/SMAS was synthesized via a green method, the IA/SMAS as an effective scale inhibitor. In addition, explained its possible scale inhibition mechanism. The long-term application of phosphorus-containing or nitrogen-containing water treatment agents can easily lead to the eutrophication of water bodies. Here, a random copolymer IA/SMAS was synthesized by itaconic acid (IA) and sodium methacrylate sulfonate (SMAS) monomer by the aqueous polymerization method. The optimal synthesis conditions were as follows: a raw material mass ratio (IA:SMAS) of 2:1, a temperature of 95 °C and a reaction time of 6 h. In addition, ammonium persulfate and isopropanol were both added at 5 % of the total raw material mass. The copolymer IA/SMAS was characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), elemental analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and EDS. Its molecular weight and distribution were analyzed by gel chromatography (GPC). Static methods were used to evaluate copolymers and their performance in synergy with electrostatic fields. The scale inhibition mechanism of the copolymer and its synergistic effect with electrostatic field were also studied by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that the copolymer had excellent scale inhibition performance for calcium carbonate and good dispersion effect on iron oxide. The addition of the electrostatic field improved the scale inhibition performance of IA/SMAS copolymer by 16 %. Thus, the copolymer is a phosphorus-free and nitrogen-free water treatment agent that achieves excellent performance and can significantly disrupt the surface morphology and crystalline structures of crystals.