Rice husk derived double network hydrogel as efficient adsorbent for Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) removal in individual and multicomponent systems.

In this study, lignin extracted from rice husk was used to synthesis double network hydrogel adsorbent, named RH-CTS/PAM gel. RH-CTS/PAM gel exhibited macroporous structure and high buried water content, which gave rise to the exceptional adsorption performance. As results, in individual systems, the equilibrium time of Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) with initial concentration of 200 mg/L could be reached within 10 min, with the theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of 374.32, 196.68 and 268.98 mg/g, respectively. The adsorption rate and capacity of Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) in multicomponent systems were lower than that of individual systems. However, in a few cases of ternary system, higher adsorption rate and capacity was observed compare to binary systems. Adsorption mechanism indicated that both oxygen-containing and nitrogen-containing functional groups played a dominant role during the adsorption process, and mainly through chemical interaction along with a small amount of physical interaction.