Abstract
Graft polymerization of vinyl acetate with chitin was effected using either the ferrous ion/hydrogen peroxide redox system or gamma radiation for initiation. The polymerization reaction was studied with respect to graft yield, homopolymer yield and total conversion. Results imply that the redox initiation is superior to irradiation, since it gives a much higher graft yield. Conversion of chitin-g-poly (vinyl acetate) to chitosan-g-poly (vinyl alcohol) was expedited using 48% sodium hydroxide at 130°C for 3 h. The use of chitosan-g-poly (vinyl alcohol) as an ion-exchanger was examined. The capacity of this ion exchanger to adsorb heavy metal ions such as cupric and dichromate, as well as some dyestuffs was also studied. The results indicate that the copolymer under investigation is a potentially powerful ion exchanger that can be employed for heavy metals and dyestuff removal from wastewater effluents.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.