Preparation and application of glycidyl methacrylate and methacrylic acid monomer mixture‐grafted poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers for removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution

A novel fibrous adsorbent that grafts glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and methacrylic acid (MAA) monomer mixture onto poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers was used for removal of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solutions by a batch equilibration technique. The operation parameters investigated included, pH of solution, removal time, graft yield, dye concentration, and reaction temperature. The adsorption rate of MB is much higher on the MAA/GMA‐grafted PET fibers than on the ungrafted PET fibers. MB was removed 99% the initial dye concentration at 10 mg L⁻¹ and 93% at 200 mg L⁻¹ by monomers mixture‐grafted PET fibers. Pseudofirst order and pseudosecond order kinetic equations were used to examine the experimental data of different graft yield. It was found that the pseudosecond order kinetic equation described the data of dye adsorption on fibrous adsorbent very well. The experimental isotherms data were analyzed using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The data was that Freundlich isotherm model fits the data very well for the dyes on the fibers adsorbent. The dye adsorbed was easily desorbed by treating with acetic acid/methanol mixture (50% V/V) at room temperature. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010