Synthesis, characterization, and sorption properties of water-insoluble poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid)-montmorillonite composite

The sorption properties of composites based on 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid and montmorillonite are presented. Gel-type composites were obtained via in situ polymerization. Resin particles presented exfoliated morphologies, as suggested by X-ray diffraction. The addition of montmorillonite resulted in enhanced mechanical properties, as evaluated by Vickers microhardness tests. The swelling performances of the resins exhibited a fast initial water uptake, reaching the maximum absorption capacity after less of 1 h of contact. A batch procedure was used to evaluate the sorption characteristics of the composites, and the effects of pH, montmorillonite content, and time were studied. The composites showed high adsorption capacities at pH values of 3.0 and 5.0, and the addition of montmorillonite did not result in a significant enhancement of their adsorption capacity. The equilibrium adsorption performance can be described by the Langmuir isotherm, while kinetic experiments revealed an excellent agreement with the pseudo-second-order model.