Preparation of amidoximated polyester fiber and competitive adsorption of some heavy metal ions from aqueous solution onto this fiber

In this study, a fibrous adsorbent containing amidoxime groups was prepared by graft copolymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) onto poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers using benzoyl peroxide (Bz₂O₂) as initiator in aqueous solution, and subsequent chemical modification of cyano groups by reaction with hydroxylamine hydrochloride in methanol. The grafted and modified fibers were characterized by FTIR, TGA, SEM, and XRD analysis. The crystallinity increased, but thermal stability decreased with grafting and amidoximation. The removal of Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Pb(II), and Cd(II) ions from aqueous solution onto chelating fibers were studied using batch adsorption method. These properties were investigated under competitive conditions. The effects of the pH, contact time, and initial ion concentration on the removal percentage of ions were studied. The results show that the adsorption rate of metal ions followed the given order Co(II) > Pb(II) > Cd(II) > Ni(II) > Cu(II). The percentage removal of ions increased with initial ion concentration, shaking time, and pH of the medium. Total metal ion removal capacity was 49.75 mg/g fiber on amidoximated fiber. It was observed that amidoximated fibers can be regenerated by acid without losing their activity, and it is more selective for Pb(II) ions in the mixed solution of Pb‐Cu‐Ni–Co‐Cd at pH 4. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Removal of Cu2+ and Pb2+ ions from aqueous solutions by starch-graft-acrylic acid/montmorillonite superabsorbent nanocomposite hydrogels

In this study, the removal of copper(II) and lead(II) ions from aqueous solutions by Starch-graft-acrylic acid/montmorillonite (S-g-AA/MMT) nanocomposite hydrogels was investigated. For this purpose, various factors affecting the removal of heavy metal ions, such as treatment time with the solution, initial pH of the solution, initial metal ion concentration, and MMT content were investigated. The metal ion removal capacities of copolymers increased with increasing pH, and pH 4 was found to be the optimal pH value for maximum metal removal capacity. Adsorption data of the nanocomposite hydrogels were modeled by the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation in order to investigate heavy metal ions adsorption mechanism. The observed affinity order in competitive removal of heavy metals was found Cu²⁺ > Pb²⁺. The Freundlich equations were used to fit the equilibrium isotherms. The Freundlich adsorption law was applicable to be adsorption of metal ions onto nanocomposite hydrogel.     

Preparation and characterization of magnetic polymethylmethacrylate microbeads carrying ethylene diamine for removal of Cu(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), and Hg(II) from aqueous solutions

Magnetic polymethylmethacrylate (mPMMA) microbeads carrying ethylene diamine (EDA) were prepared for the removal of heavy metal ions (i.e., copper, lead, cadmium, and mercury) from aqueous solutions containing different amount of these ions (5–700 mg/L) and at different pH values (2.0–8.0). Adsorption of heavy metal ions on the unmodified mPMMA microbeads was very low (3.6 μmol/g for Cu(II), 4.2 μmol/g for Pb(II), 4.6 μmol/g for Cd(II), and 2.9 μmol/g for Hg(II)). EDA‐incorporation significantly increased the heavy metal adsorption (201 μmol/g for Cu(II), 186 μmol/g for Pb(II), 162 μmol/g for Cd(II), and 150 μmol/g for Hg(II)). Competitive adsorption capacities (in the case of adsorption from mixture) were determined to be 79.8 μmol/g for Cu(II), 58.7 μmol/g for Pb(II), 52.4 μmol/g for Cd(II), and 45.3 μmol/g for Hg(II). The observed affinity order in adsorption was found to be Cu(II) > Pb(II) > Cd(II) > Hg(II) for both under noncompetitive and competitive conditions. The adsorption of heavy metal ions increased with increasing pH and reached a plateau value at around pH 5.0. The optimal pH range for heavy‐metal removal was shown to be from 5.0 to 8.0. Desorption of heavy‐metal ions was achieved using 0.1 M HNO₃. The maximum elution value was as high as 98%. These microbeads are suitable for repeated use for more than five adsorption‐desorption cycles without considerable loss of adsorption capacity. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 78: 81–89, 2000     

PSSMA修饰磁性氧化石墨烯对Pb2+、Cu2+ 的吸附性能

以氧化石墨烯(GO)、FeCl_3·6H_2O及聚(4-苯乙烯磺酸-共聚-马来酸)钠盐(PSSMA)为主要原料,通过简便一步溶剂热法制备了阴离子聚电解质修饰磁性氧化石墨烯(MGO@PSSMA),并将其用于水溶液中重金属Pb~(2+)、Cu~(2+)的吸附去除。采用FTIR、SEM、TEM、VSM和DLS对制备的MGO@PSSMA进行了表征。考察了溶液pH、吸附时间、溶液初始质量浓度对Pb~(2+)、Cu~(2+)在MGO@PSSMA及未经PSSMA修饰磁性氧化石墨烯(MGO)上吸附的影响。探讨了吸附等温过程、吸附动力学及吸附作用机理。结果表明:MGO表面引入PSSMA可有效增加其对Pb~(2+)、Cu~(2+)的吸附量。在pH=5,溶液初始质量浓度为300 mg/L时,MGO@PSSMA对Pb~(2+)和Cu~(2+)的实际吸附量达141.1和104.8 mg/g。当溶液初始质量浓度为150 mg/L时,MGO@PSSMA对Pb~(2+)和Cu~(2+)的吸附平衡时间分别为2和1.5 min。MGO@PSSMA对Pb~(2+)、Cu~(2+)的吸附动力学及吸附等温数据分别符合准二级吸附动力学模型和Langmuir吸附等温模型。使用乙二胺四乙酸(EDTA)和HCl可实现MGO@PSSMA的有效再生;通过外加磁场作用可实现MGO@PSSMA的回收再利用。     

Heavy metals adsorption on some iminodiacetate chelating resins as a function of the adsorption parameters

The adsorption properties of some novel chelating resins (CRs) bearing iminodiacetate groups for removal of heavy metal ions like: Cu(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) from aqueous solutions comparative with the commercial resin Amberlite IRC-748 have been studied in this work by a batch equilibrium technique. Quantitative analysis for adsorption was conducted using UV–vis spectroscopy to investigate the kinetics, adsorption isotherm and thermodynamics of the removal process considering equilibration time, pH, metal ion concentration and temperature as controlling parameters. The metal adsorption capacities, at pH 5, were in the order Cu(II) > Ni(II) > Co(II), for both the CR with 10 wt.% DVB (CR-10) and the commercial resin Amberlite IRC-748. The adsorption capacities on CR-10 were higher for Ni(II) and Co(II) ions, but lower for Cu(II) ions compared with Amberlite IRC-748. Both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms well fitted on the adsorption results of Cu(II), Ni(II) and Co(II) ions on all iminodiacetate resins.     

Facile preparation of magnetic chitosan modified with thiosemicarbazide for adsorption of copper ions from aqueous solution

In this study, magnetic chitosan modified with thiosemicarbazide (TSC‐Fe₃O₄/CTS) was facilely synthesized with glutaraldehyde as the crosslinker, and its application for removal of Cu(II) ions was investigated. The as‐prepared TSC‐Fe₃O₄/CTS was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that TSC‐Fe₃O₄/CTS has high adsorption capacity and selectivity towards Cu(II) ions. Adsorption experiments were carried out with different parameters such as pH, solution temperature, contact time and initial concentration of Cu(II) ions. The adsorption process was better described by the pseudo‐second‐order model. The sorption equilibrium data was fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm model and the maximum adsorption capacity toward Cu(II) ions was 256.62 mg/g. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption process of Cu(II) ions was exothermic spontaneous reaction. Moreover, this adsorbent showed excellent reusability and the adsorption property remained stable after five cycles. This adsorbent is believed to be one of the promising and favorable adsorbent for the removal of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134, 44528.     

Adsorption of Cu(II) on β‐cyclodextrin modified multiwall carbon nanotube/iron oxides in the absence/presence of fulvic acid

BACKGROUND: The adsorption of Cu(II) on β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) modified multiwall carbon nanotubes/iron oxides (denoted as MWCNT/IO/CD) as a function of contact time, pH, adsorbent content, temperature, fulvic acid (FA) and initial Cu(II) concentrations was investigated using a batch technique under ambient conditions. RESULTS: The adsorption of Cu(II) was strongly dependent on pH, adsorbent content, temperature and FA. A positive effect of FA on Cu(II) adsorption was found at pH < 6.5, whereas a negative effect was observed at pH > 6.5. Different effects of FA/Cu(II) concentrations on Cu(II) and FA adsorption were observed, indicating enhanced Cu(II) adsorption on FA bound MWCNT/IO/CD, whereas FA adsorption was decreased in the presence of Cu(II) ions. The adsorption isotherms were well fitted by the linear isotherm model. The adsorption thermodynamic parameters calculated from temperature dependent adsorption isotherms suggested that the adsorption of Cu(II) on MWCNT/IO/CD was an endothermic and spontaneous process. CONCLUSIONS: MWCNT/IO/CD is a promising magnetic material for the preconcentration and separation of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solutions in environmental pollution cleanup. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Enhanced Removal of Cu(II) by Photocatalytic Reduction Using Maghemite PVA-Alginate Separable Beads: Kinetic and Equilibrium Studies

The feasibility of Cu(II) removal by photoreduction using maghemite polyvinylalcohol-alginate beads was investigated. Photoreduction experiments were performed to investigate the influence of initial concentration and pH on the removal of copper(II) metallic ions. The fate of Cu(II) during the photoreduction process was investigated using the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was observed that the Cu(II) removal rate was faster under sunlight than without sunlight due to the reduction process of Cu(II) to Cu(I). The photoreduction results showed that the adsorption of Cu(II) ions followed a Langmuir Hinshelwood model with the photoreduction rate constant and adsorption coefficient values of 24.1 ppm/min and 0.0098 ppm^?1, respectively.     

Adsorption of some heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions on Nafion 117 membrane

Nafion 117 membrane was investigated for the removal of Ni(II), Co(II), Pb(II), Cu(II) and Ag(I) metal ions from their synthesized aqueous solutions. The different variables affecting the adsorption capacity of the membrane such as contact time, initial metal ion concentration in the feed solution, pH of the sorption medium and temperature of the solution were investigated on a batch sorption basis. The affinity of Nafion 117 membrane towards heavy metal ions was found to increase in the sequence of Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Pb(II), and Ag(I) with adsorption equilibrium achieved after 30 min for all metal ions. Among all parameters, pH has the most significant effect on the adsorption capacity, particularly in the range of 3.1-5.9. The variation of temperature in the range of 25-65 °C was found to have no significant effect on the adsorption capacity. Nafion 117 membrane was found to have high stability combined with repeated regeneration ability and can be suggested for effective removal of heavy metal ions such as Cu(II), Ni(II) and Co(II) from aqueous solutions.     

Humic acid-immobilized polymer/bentonite composite as an adsorbent for the removal of copper(II) ions from aqueous solutions and electroplating industry wastewater

In this study, humic acid (HA) was immobilized onto amine-modified polyacrylamide/bentonite composite (Am-PAA-B) which was prepared by direct intercalation polymerization technique and the product (HA-Am-PAA-B) was used as an adsorbent for the removal of copper(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The surface characteristics of bentonite, Am-PAA-B and HA-Am-PAA-B were investigated. The adsorbent behaved like a cation exchanger and more than 99.0% Cu(II) ions’ removal was observed at the pH range 5.0–6.0. Kinetic and isotherm experiments showed that amount of Cu(II) ions adsorbed increases with increase of the initial concentration and temperature. The adsorption kinetic data were interpreted by pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order rate equations. The suitability of Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin–Radushkevich (D-R) adsorption models to the equilibrium data was investigated. The Langmuir isotherm was found to provide the best theoretical correlation of the experimental equilibrium data. The thermodynamic and kinetic activation parameters were derived to predict the nature of adsorption process and discussed in detail. The isosteric heat of adsorption was constant even after increase in surface loading. The removal efficiency of HA-Am-PAA-B was tested using electroplating industry wastewater. The desorption of adsorbed Cu(II) ions was achieved by 0.1 M HCl and four adsorption/desorption cycles were performed without significant decrease in the adsorption capacity.     

Determination of the competitive adsorption of heavy metal ions on poly(n‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone/acrylic acid) hydrogels by differential pulse polarography

Poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone) and poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone/acrylic acid) hydrogels were prepared by gamma irradiation for the removal of heavy metal ions (i.e., lead, copper, zinc, and cadmium) from aqueous solutions containing different amounts of these ions (2.5–10 mg/L) and at different pH values (1–13). The observed affinity order in adsorption of these metal ions on the hydrogels was Zn(II) > Pb(II) > Cu(II) > Cd(II) under competitive conditions. The optimal pH range for the heavy metal ions was from 7 to 9. The adsorption of the heavy metal ions decreased with increasing temperature in both water and synthetic seawater conditions. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 2013–2018, 2003     

Hydrogels with Acid Groups for Removal of Copper(II) and Lead(II) Ions

Acrylamide-maleic acid (AAM-MA) hydrogels having high acid group content prepared with different maleic acid ratios were used for the removal of Cu(II) and Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions in competitive and noncompetitive conditions. The effects of pH, time, and initial metal ion concentration on the metal ion adsorption capacity were investigated. The adsorption isotherm models were applied on experimental data and it is shown that the Freundlich equation was the best model for Cu(II) ion while the Langmuir isotherm model was the best one for Pb(II) ion. The stability constants of acrylamide-maleic acid hydrogel-Cu(II) and Pb(II) complexes were also determined by van den Berg/Ruzic transformation, and K values obtained were 1.60 × 10³ and 1.81 × 10³ for Cu(II) and Pb(II) ions, respectively. The experiments under competitive conditions showed that the hydrogels prefered Pb(II) ion and this preference increased with increasing of carboxylic acid group content (AGC) of polymers. It is stated that these hydrogels can be regenerated efficiently (>95%) and used repeatedly.     

Adsorption of heavy‐metal ions on poly(ethylene imine)‐immobilized poly(methyl methacrylate) microspheres

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microspheres carrying poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) were prepared for the removal of heavy‐metal ions (copper, cadmium, and lead) from aqueous solutions with different amounts of these ions (50–600 mg/L) and different pH values (3.0–7.0). Ester groups in the PMMA structures were converted to imine groups in a reaction with PEI as a metal‐chelating ligand in the presence of NaH. The adsorption of heavy‐metal ions on the unmodified PMMA microspheres was very low [3.6 μmol/g for Cu(II), 4.6 μmol/g for Cd(II), and 4.2 μmol/g for Pb(II)]. PEI immobilization significantly increased the heavy‐metal adsorption [0.224 mmol/g for Cu(II), 0.276 mmol/g for Cd(II), and 0.126 mmol/g for Pb(II)]. The affinity order of adsorption (in moles) was Cd(II) > Cu(II) > Pb(II). The adsorption of heavy‐metal ions increased with increasing pH and reached a plateau value around pH 5.5. Their adsorption behavior was approximately described with the Langmuir equation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 197–205, 2001     

Copper(II) removal from aqueous solution by organosolv lignin and its recovery

In this study the removal of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution was performed at different concentrations, temperatures, and pHs using ethanol‐based organosolv lignin as the adsorbent. The results indicated that the amount of Cu(II) ions adsorbed onto the lignin increased with increasing concentration and pH; however, it decreased with an increase in temperature. It was possible to remove 40.74% (maximum removal) of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution by using organosolv lignin within 10 min under certain conditions (3 × 10^?4 M and 20°C). The adsorption process was determined to be consistent with the Freundlich isotherm. Furthermore, it was found that 40% (maximum recovery) of the Cu(II) ions adsorbed on the organosolv lignin could be recovered using HCl with an initial concentration of 3 × 10^?4 M and a contact time of 10 min. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 1537–1541, 2003     

一种高吸水树脂对电镀废水中铜离子的吸附研究

以废弃聚乙烯(PE)塑料与具有亲水性基团的丙烯酸(AA)及其盐接枝共聚合成一种高吸水性树脂,并将所得高吸水树脂用于溶液中Cu2+的吸附。通过分光光度法研究了树脂去除水溶液中Cu2+的情况,考察了起始pH、树脂用量、金属离子起始浓度和吸附时间对金属离子去除率的影响。结果表明,该树脂对Cu2+具有较强的吸附性能。树脂初期吸附速率大,吸附达到平衡时的接触时间为30 min。当溶液pH为7.0,Cu2+初始浓度为25 mg/L,树脂用量在8 g/L时,树脂对Cu2+的去除率可达95.0%以上。     

Kinetic,thermodynamic and equilibrium studies on the removal of copper ions from aqueous solutions by natural and modified clinoptilolites

This paper presents the adsorption of Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution on Na and Fe-modified clinoptilolite. The copper adsorption experiments were performed in a batch system considering an optimum contact time of 24 h. Changes in the surfaces and structure were characterized by SEM data. According to the SEM results, it was anticipated that the removal efficiency of Fe-modified clinoptilolite was the highest compared with the natural and Na-modified clinoptilolites. Adsorption of Cu(II) ions by modified clinoptilolites was investigated as a function of the initial Cu(II) concentration, solution pH, and temperature. According to the results, the maximum adsorbed Cu amount onto Fe-modified was 19.40mg/l at the optimum operating condition with a pH value of 5.5 and temperature of 60 °C. According to the thermodynamic evaluations, positive ΔS and negative ΔG were found for the adsorption process showing that the adsorption reaction is a spontaneous process and more favorable at high temperatures. Sorption data have been interpreted in terms of Langmuir and Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich. The adsorption equilibrium was best described by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. In addition, according to the Sips model, the sorption of Cu(II) ions on the Fe-modified clinoptilolite was found to be heterogeneous. The kinetic study showed that the Fe-modified clinoptilolite followed the pseudo-second order model. The results indicated that the clinoptilolite-rich tuff in its iron oxide form could be efficiently used for the removal of copper from aqueous solutions.     

Characterization of Ag(I), Co(II) and Cu(II) removal process from aqueous solutions using dolomite powder

Dolomite, a natural adsorbent, was used for removal of Ag(I), Cu(II) and Co(II) from aqueous solutions. Adsorption parameters including pH, temperature and contact time have been investigated to obtain adsorption mechanism. The results of experiments showed that adsorption of the metal ions increased by increasing pH values up to 5.5. The adsorption process was initially fast. Equilibrium isotherm data were analyzed using Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models. Maximum adsorption capacity of Ag(I), Cu(II) and Co(II) was 1.34, 1.63 and 2.84 mg/g at 20 oC, respectively. Kinetic models including Lagergren first-order and pseudo-second-order were used to test kinetic data. The results showed that pseudo-second-order has good agreement with experimental data. Thermodynamic parameters of the process were also investigated at different temperatures. The negative values of Gibbs free energy and enthalpy changes for Ag(I), Cu(II) and Co(II) indicated the spontaneous and exothermic nature of the adsorption process.     

Heavy metals uptake from aqueous solutions and industrial wastewaters by humic acid-immobilized polymer/bentonite composite: Kinetics and equilibrium modeling

This study explored the feasibility of utilizing a novel adsorbent, humic acid-immobilized-amine-modified polyacrylamide/bentonite composite (HA-Am-PAA-B) for the adsorption of Cu(II), Zn(II) and Co(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The FTIR and XRD analyses were done to characterize the adsorbent material. The effects of pH, contact time, initial adsorbate concentration, ionic strength and adsorbent dose on adsorption of metal ions were investigated using batch adsorption experiments. The optimum pH for Cu(II), Zn(II) and Co(II) adsorption was observed at 5.0, 9.0 and 8.0, respectively. The mechanism for the removal of metal ions by HA-Am-PAA-B was based on ion exchange and complexation reactions. Metal removal by HA-Am-PAA-B followed a pseudo-second-order kinetics and equilibrium was achieved within 120 min. The suitability of Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich adsorption models to the equilibrium data was investigated. The adsorption was well described by the Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity was 106.2, 96.1 and 52.9 mg g^?1 for Cu(II), Zn(II) and Co(II) ions, respectively, at 30 °C. The efficiency of HA-Am-PAA-B in removing metal ions from different industry wastewaters was tested. Adsorbed metal ions were desorbed effectively (97.7 for Cu(II), 98.5 for Zn(II) and 99.2% for Co(II)) by 0.1 M HCl. The reusability of the HA-Am-PAA-B for several cycles was also demonstrated.     

Cysteine-metal affinity chromatography: determination of heavy metal adsorption properties

Various adsorbent materials have been reported in the literature for heavy metal removal. We have developed a novel approach to obtain high metal sorption capacity utilising cysteine containing adsorbent. Metal complexing aminoacid-ligand cysteine was immobilised onto poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate) (PHEMA) microbeads. PHEMA-cysteine affinity microbeads containing 0.318 mmol cysteine/g were used in the removal of heavy metal ions (i.e. copper, lead and cadmium) from aqueous media containing different amounts of these ions (50–400 mg/l for Pb(II) and Cd(II), 25–60 mg/l for Cu(II)) and at different pH values (4.0–7.0). The maximum adsorption capacity of heavy metal ions onto the cysteine-containing microbeads under non-competitive conditions were 0.259 mmol/g for Pb(II), 0.330 mmol/g for Cd(II) and 0.229 mmol/g for Cu(II). The affinity order was observed as follows: Cd(II)>Pb(II)>Cu(II). The competitive adsorption capacities of the heavy metals were 0.260 mmol/g for Cd(II) and 0.120 mmol/g for Cu(II). Pb(II) adsorption onto cysteine-immobilised microbeads was zero under competitive conditions. The affinity order was as follows: Cd(II)>Cu(II)>Pb(II). The formation constants of cysteine–metal ion complexes have been investigated applying the method of Ruzic. The calculated value of stability constants were 1.75×10⁴ l/mol for Pb(II)–cysteine complex and 4.35×10⁴ l/mol for Cd(II)–cysteine complex and 1.39×10⁴ l/mol for Cu(II)–cysteine complex. PHEMA microbeads carrying cysteine can be regenerated by washing with a solution of hydrochloric acid (0.05 M). The maximum desorption ratio was greater than 99%. These PHEMA microbeads are suitable for repeated use for more than three adsorption–desorption cycles without considerable loss in adsorption capacity.     

Zeolite X/chitosan hybrid microspheres and their adsorption properties for Cu(II) ions in aqueous solutions

The preparation of zeolite X/chitosan (CS) hybrid microspheres for efficient removal of Cu(II) ions by an impregnation-gelation-hydrothermal synthesis technique is reported here. Characterizations by various techniques indicate that the microspheres show porous structures and intimate interaction between zeolite and CS. The adsorption experiments are performed to evaluate the adsorption capacity of zeolite X/CS hybrid microspheres and comparisons are made with binderless zeolite X microspheres, pure CS microspheres and mechanical mixed zeolite X/CS microspheres. The effects of Cu(II) solution concentration and the pH are investigated. The results indicate that zeolite X/CS hybrid microspheres with the zeolite content of 60 wt% show the highest adsorption capacity, which is 90 mg/g at the initial Cu(II) concentration of 10 mg/L and 150.4 mg/g at Cu(II) concentration of 500 mg/L. The adsorption capacity increases with increasing initial pH and reaches a maximum at pH 5.5 in the range of 0–6.0. The equilibrium adsorption data are well described by the Langmuir isotherm model, exhibiting a maximum adsorption capacity of 152.0 mg/g, and the kinetic data are well fitted with the pseudo-second-order equation. Complete removal of Cu(II) ions can be obtained even at very low concentrations. The microspheres show high adsorption capacity and efficiency for Cu(II) ions, exhibiting potential practical application in the treatment of water pollution of heavy metal ions.