Preparation and use of amine-functionalized glycidyl methacrylate-g-poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers for removal of chromium(VI) from aqueous solution

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers were grafted with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) using benzoyl peroxide as initiator. 1,6-diaminohexane (HMDA) was then covalently attached to this GMA grafted PET fibers. Variations of time, temperature, initiator and monomer concentrations were investigated. HMDA-GMA-g-PET fibers were used as a new sorbent for removal of Cr(VI) ions from aqueous solutions through batch adsorption method. Effects of various parameters such as pH, treatment time, and initial ions concentration on the adsorption amount of ions onto reactive fibers were investigated. The adsorption rates of Cr(VI) ions were much higher on the HMDA-GMA-g-PET fiber than on GMA-g-PET and ungrafted PET fiber. Within 60 min, at pH 3, Cr(VI) was removed by 98 % while the initial concentration of ions was at 25 mg/l and by 94 % at 400 mg/l. The Cr(VI) ions adsorbed were easily desorbed by treating with 1M KOH within 10 min.