Chelating adsorption properties of PEI/SiO(2) for plumbum ion.

In this paper, a novel adsorption material PEI/SiO(2) with strong adsorption ability towards heavy-metal ions was prepared. In preparation of PEI/SiO(2), functional macromolecule polyethyleneimine (PEI) was grafted onto the surfaces of silica gel particles via the coupling effect of gamma-chloropropyl trimethoxysilane (CP). The adsorption properties of PEI/SiO(2) for Pb(2+) ion were studied by both static and dynamic methods. The experimental results show that PEI/SiO(2) possesses very strong adsorption ability for Pb(2+) ion, the saturated adsorption amount could reach to 17.5mgg(-1), and the empirical Langmuir isotherm was found to describe well the equilibrium adsorption data. The pH and grafting amount of PEI have great influence on the adsorption amount. The Pb(2+) ions adsorbed on PEI/SiO(2) are eluted easily by diluted hydrochloric acid solution.