| Abstract: | A chelating resin, PSGI, was synthesized by the radical polymerization of GMA‐IDA, DVB, and styrene for the removal of Cu(II), Co(II), and Cd(II) from an aqueous solution. The characteristic functional groups and chemical composition of PSGI were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis of C, H, and N. The equilibrium adsorption capacities of PSGI from their single‐metal ion solutions were 1.46 mmol/g for Cu(II), 1.02 mmol/g for Co(II), and 1.10 mmol/g for Cd(II). The adsorption isothermal of Cu(II) by PSGI followed the Langmuir isotherm. Increasing the concentration (0–0.1 M) of KCl in Cu(II) solution affected the adsorption behavior slightly. Within the pH range of 2–5.5, decreasing the pH of the Cu(II) solution did not produce remarkable changes in the equilibrium adsorption capacities. The adsorption capacities of PSGI for Cu(II) did not cause significant change during the repeated adsorption–desorption operations. The competitive adsorption tests verified that this resin had good adsorption selectivity for Cu(II) with the coexistence of Co(II) and Cd(II). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 2123–2130, 2004 |
