Microwave-Assisted Graft Copolymerization of Cellulosic Fibers for Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous Solution

Functional materials obtained from cellulosic biofibers have gained attention due to the growing demand for them in the field of wastewater remediation. In view of the technological significance of functionalized cellulosic biofibers in wastewater treatment, the present study is a green approach to functionalized cellulosic fibers through graft copolymerization under microwave irradiation. The grafted cellulosic polymers were subsequently subjected to heavy metal ion adsorption studies in order to assess their application in wastewater remediation. The effects of pH, contact time, temperature, and metal ion concentration were studied in batchwise adsorption experiments. The Langmuir, Freundlich, and Tempkin models were used to show the adsorption isotherms. The maximum monolayer capacities, q (m). calculated using the Langmuir isotherm for Zn2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ were found to be 37.79, 69.68, and 96.81mg/g respectively. The thermodynamic parameter Delta H degrees and Delta G degrees values for metal ion adsorption on functionalized cellulosic fibers showed that adsorption process was spontaneous as well as exothermic in nature.