Author(s)

Lina Odeh¹, Imad Odeh^1*, Mustafa Khamis¹, Mahmoud Khatib¹, Mohannad Qurie^2,3, Ziad Shakhsher¹, Mutaz Qutob³

¹Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Palestine.
²Center for Chemical and Biological Analysis, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Palestine.
³Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Palestine.

A commercially available chelating polymer, polystyrene tris(2-aminoethyl)amine, was used for the removal of chromium from aqueous solution. The influence of pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage and initial Cr (VI) concentration on adsorption was studied. The optimum pH for the removal of Cr (VI) was at pH 5, while optimum contact time and adsorbent dosage were 120 minutes and 10 g/L, respectively. Total chromium and Cr (VI) concentrations were analyzed by ICP-MS and UV-Visible. Adsorption isotherms using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models revealed that the data fitted Langmuir isotherm model better than Freundlich with a maximum adsorption capacity of 312.27 mg/g. FTIR spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS) analyses were performed on the adsorbent before and after binding Cr (VI). All analyses confirmed the complexation of Cr (VI) to the adsorbent. Desorption experiments using KCl solution indicated 89.3% release of chromium, rendering this method of high potential for adsorbent regeneration.

Adsorption of Cr (VI), Polystyrene Tris(2-aminoethyl)amine, ICP-MS, SEM, EDS

Odeh, L. , Odeh, I. , Khamis, M. , Khatib, M. , Qurie, M. , Shakhsher, Z. and Qutob, M. (2015) Hexavalent Chromium Removal and Reduction to Cr (III) by Polystyrene Tris(2-aminoethyl)amine. American Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 6, 26-37. doi: 10.4236/ajac.2015.61003.