Microwave-assisted synthesis and characterization of polyacrylamide grafted cellulose derived from waste newspaper for surface water treatment

In this study, polyacrylamide was grafted onto the backbone of cellulose extracted from waste newspapers by conducting microwave-assisted synthesis of polyacrylamide grafted cellulose (PAM-g-cellulose). The cellulose was extracted from the waste newspaper by a chemical treatment involving alkaline and bleaching treatment. The characterization result by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer. The grafted copolymers have been synthesized by varying the ratio of cellulose to acrylamide. Scanning electron microscopy and FTIR confirmed the successfulness of copolymer grafting. The flocculation studies of the PAM-g-cellulose were evaluated in a synthetic kaolin suspension using the standard jar test method at various flocculant dosages, initial kaolin concentration, and pH conditions. It was found that PAM-g-cellulose with a molar ratio of cellulose to acrylamide is 1:7 exhibited a highly effective flocculation capability (96.2%) as compared to other synthesized grafted copolymer. The results indicated that the flocculant dosage and pH affected the flocculation efficiency significantly. The optimum condition for the turbidity reduction of kaolin suspension was achieved at a flocculant dosage of 200 ppm in an acidic pH 3 with a decrease in turbidity levels of 82.8%. Overall, the results demonstrated the potential of PAM-g-cellulose extracted from waste newspaper to serve as eco-friendly flocculants in water treatment.