A new morphological approach for removing acid dye from leather waste water: preparation and characterization of metal-chelated spherical particulated membranes (SPMs)

In this study, p(HEMA–GMA) poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate) spherical particulated membranes (SPMs) were produced by UV-photopolymerization and the synthesized SPMs were coupled with iminodiacetic acid (IDA). Finally the novel SPMs were chelated with Cr(III) ions as ligand and used for removing acid black 210 dye. Characterizations of the metal-chelated SPMs were made by SEM, FTIR and swelling test. The water absorption capacities and acid dye adsorption properties of the SPMs were investigated and the results were 245.0, 50.0, 55.0 and 51.9% for p(HEMA), p(HEMA–GMA), p(HEMA–GMA)-IDA and p(HEMA–GMA)-IDA-Cr(III) SPMs respectively. Adsorption properties of the p(HEMA–GMA)-IDA-Cr(III) SPMs were investigated under different conditions such as different initial dye concentrations and pH. The optimum pH was observed at 4.3 and the maximum adsorption capacity was determined as 885.14 mg/g at about 8000 ppm initial dye concentration. The concentrations of the dyes were determined using a UV/Vis Spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 435 nm. Reusability of p(HEMA–GMA)-IDA-Cr(III) SPMs was also shown for five adsorption–desorption cycles without considerable decrease in its adsorption capacity. Finally, the results showed that the metal-chelated p(HEMA–GMA)-IDA SPMs were effective sorbent systems removing acid dye from leather waste water.