Preparation of cross-linked poly (styrene) based resin amidated by staudinger reaction, modification with iminopropylene glycole and removal of the boron from aqueous solutions

Boron is the fifth lightest element in the periodic table and just one place before carbon. It is the only non-metallic element of group III. Although boron is broadly dispersed in geosphere, it is found as low concentration. Boron salts and boric acid are widely used in industry production of porcelain, glass, carpets, cosmetics, fire-retardant fabrics, weather proofing wood and photographic chemicals. Moreover, boron is a crucial element for system of living organism. However, excessive boron has drawback effects on humans, animals and plants. To keep it up healthy levels, the World Health Organization (WHO) has set a boundary of 2.4 mg/L of boron in potable water. Subsequently, removal of boron from wastewater is crucial issue. Removing of boron from wastewaters and waters has no simple procedures. There are numerous method for the removal of boron that are precipitation-coagulation, adsorption on active carbon or polymeric resins, cellulose or clay minerals, solvent extraction, use of boron selective resins, membrane filtration, ion exchange with basic exchanger and adsorption on oxides. Adsorption as a removing of boron compound from water sources is the best in terms of low cost, effective and easily applicable method when it is compared with the other methods. To begin with part of this study, cross-linked poly (vinyl benzyl chloride) (PVBC) resin was prepared by suspension polymerization. PVBC was modified with sodium azide. Then, amination of the resin was provided by Staudinger reaction. The last part of preparation of boron selective resin is modification of aminated resin with glycidole. The resin was characterized thanks to Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in order to understand importance of functional groups for boron selectivity. Total amine content of was determined as 3.75 mmol/g sorbent. In the second part of this study, boron sorption experiments were carried with modified resin. Effect of different boron concentration was researched for the resin. Maximum boron loading capacity of the IPG-resin was found 3.727 mmol per gram sorbent. Moreover, effect of salt and foreign ion such as Ca+2 and Mg+2 on boron sorption capacity was investigated. In addition, capacities of boron sorption were considered with varying pH value between 2.0-8-0. The last of part of this study, sorption isotherm models that Freundlich, Langmuir and Tempkin, were examined for maximum sorption capacity of resin. Furthermore, kinetics of boron sorption was studied with the similar concentration of seawater. Pseudo first order, pseudo second order and intra-particular diffusion kinetics models were applied in order to understand of efficiency of the resin. Besides, regeneration of the resin was examined. Amount of boric acid, which was recovered of the loaded resin, is 3.57 mmol/g. It was indicated that the resin has ability of desorption almost entirely.