Professor, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Egypt; Visiting Professor, McGill University, Canada.

Speech Title: Uptake of Cadmium(ІІ) Ions from Aqueous Media Using New Semi-Inter Penetrating Biopolymer Networks
Abstract:Water pollution is one of the main environmental problems that affecting human health, water resources and ecosystems. Heavy metals are a great concern in the environment and public health. Cadmium is bio persistent, and once absorbed, causes toxicity to human, animal and aquatic life [20,21], even at very low concentrations [22]. Adsorption process is considered as one of the most promising method for the removal of toxic metals and other pollutants from aqueous media, based on its simplicity, flexibility and elevated efficiency in industry [23,24].
This study aimed to prepare new semi interpenetrating biopolymer networks (s-IPNs) and fully characterize using spectral (FTIR, SEM, EDS), elemental analyses and thermal measurements These micro particles were obtained by using hydrolyzed carboxymethyl cellulose grafted poly acrylonitrile (h-CMC-g-PAN) and sodium alginate (Na-Alg) with CaCl2 (cross linker). The spectral FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDX and TGA measurements of s-IPNs showed innovative functionalities with superior physico-chemical properties. The functional rich biopolymers provided a great chance to test these materials as sorbents for uptaking the toxic cadmium(II) ions from aqueous media. The uptake of Cd(II) ions onto s-IPNs is highly depending on the pH, shaking time, temperature, amount of sorbent and the initial concentration of Cd(II) ions. At pH 6, s-IPNs shows the maximum Cd(II) ions uptake (99.5%). The adsorption isotherm fitted well with Langmuir model, with calculated maximum adsorption capacity 200 mg g-1. The kinetic studies were modeled using a pseudo-second order reaction. The thermodynamic parameters (ΔHo, ΔGo and ΔSo) of the uptake of Cd(II) ions onto s-IPNs verified spontaneous exothermic process. Successive desorption and reusability of s-IPNs for the uptake of Cd(II) indicated, its high efficiency over three cycles.
Keywords: s-IPN, H-CMC-g-PAN, cadmium, adsorption, isotherm
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[2] T. A. H. Nguyen, H. H. Ngo, W. S. Guo, J. Zhang, S. Liang, Q. Y. Yue, Bioresour Technol 2013;148:574-85.
[3] P. Tan, J. Sun, Y. Y. Hu, Z. Fang, Q. Bi, Y. C. Chen, J Hazard Mater 2015;251:297.
[4] M. OuldM'hamed, L. Khezami, A. G. Alshammari, S. M. Ould-Mame, I. Ghiloufi, O. M. Lemine, Water Sci Technol. 2015;72(4):608-15.