| Abstract: | Macromolecular chelating agents have been synthesized and investigated for the complexation with various metals in homogeneous phasing using membrane filtration. Quite a number of water-soluble basis polymers such as poly(vinylamine), poly(acrylic acid), poly(ethyleneimine), and copolymers, and their derivatives are listed and discussed in respect to their application for the chelation of transition metals. The polymers had molecular masses between 20000 and 200000 daltons. The application of membrane filtration rendered it possible to separate excess metallic ions from the polymer chelate in a continuous or discontinuous process. Studies on the metal-binding capacity of the polymer ligand exhibited the possiblity of preparation of macromolecular chelating agents which are selective for different metals. There after, the introduction of chelating groups such as iminodiacetic acid, thiourea, pyridine-2-aldimine, and others, improved significantly the selectivity for the metals copper, nickel, palladium, mercury, iron, gold, and platinum. For the regeneration of the polymer ligands electrolysis and protolysis can be used. The macromolecular chelates remained water-soluble independent of the chelated metal and the polymeric chelating agent. According to these studies, certain metals can be removed selectively from waste water or other diluted solutions in homogeneous phase by the application of polymeric chelating agents. |
