Preparation of Quarternized Acrylic Acid Grafted Cotton Fabric Waste for the Removal of Sulphate from Aqueous Solution

Acrylic acid (AAc) grafted cotton fabric was prepared by radiation- induced graft polymerization. Grafting conditions were optimized and the sample with grafting percentage 160% were used for further experiments. (AAc) grafted chains were quaternized by introduction of a tertiary amine function onto the sample by the estrification of the carboxylic groups, via an acid chloride intermediate, with 4-hydroxy-N-methyl piperidine. The tertiary amine of the piperidine ring was then quarternized with benzyl chloride. The prepared anion exchanger was characterized by FTIR and SEM. Adsorption experiments were conducted with quarternized (AAc) grafted cotton fabric for sulphate removal at concentration (100-500 ppm) at different ph values. Adsorbed sulphate amounts were found to be (60, 32.5 and 22.5 mg/g) at ph 3, 7 and 9, respectively, showing the efficiency of the adsorbent material in the removing sulphate. Also the results showed that the adsorption data fit the Freundlich isotherm model. Kinetic data were fitted using pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second order equations and with the pseudo-second-order equation generated being in best agreement with the experimental data for the adsorption systems