Synthesis and study of optimization of amidoximated PAN‐DVB‐EGDMA beads for the sorption of uranium from aqueous media

Abstract

Environmental and economic considerations have made the sorption of uranium from aqueous media a very time demanding area of research from last few decades. In this particular work, amidoximated polyacrylonitrile beads were synthesized by the reaction of hydroxyl amine hydrochloride (OH‐NH2.HCl) with macroporous crosslinked polyacrylonitrile beads, prepared through suspension polymerization techniques, using acrylonitrile (AN) as monomer and divinylbenzene and ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate as crosslinkers, in a variety of relative compositions, to modify suitably the hydrophilicity and physicochemical stability. These beads were also characterized by FT‐IR, scanning electron microscope, and thermogravimetric analysis–differential scanning calorimetry techniques to explain the morphology and chemical functionality. The beads reached its saturation capacity towards uranyl ions well within 1 h of equilibration at ~25°C, under near neutral pH conditions and the observed maximum sorption capacity was found to be ~18 mg g−1. The beads were also used for the sorption of uranium from various real water samples and showed good sorption from these samples. Reusability of the beads was also established up to the studied four cycles. These synthesized beads can potentially serve the dual purpose of the decontamination of uranium contaminated potable well water as well as to treat acidic radioactive waste generated in nuclear industry before final discharge to environment. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:863–872, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers