A new thiol-based oxidized polyethylene adsorbent for heavy metal ions removal from aqueous solutions

In the present study, it has been synthesized a new polymer, OXPESH (oxidized polyethylene functionalized with thiol groups), based on commercially used OXPE (oxidized polyethylene) for possible uses in the removal of heavy metals. Thiol-based oxidized polyethylene was successfully obtained by the esterification process. The synthesized polymeric material was employed as a possible adsorbent for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Different techniques (H-1-NMR, FTIR, ICP-MS, (Elemental Analysis), XPS, SEM-EDX, TGA/DTG) were used to characterize the physical and chemical properties of the obtained adsorbent. it was observed that the optimum pH values for the adsorption capacity and removal efficiency of heavy metal ions were 6-8. It was observed that the adsorbent removed the best Ag+ > Cr3 + > Pb2+ > Al3+ > Cd2+ > Ni2+ > Cu2+ from the aqueous solution. As a result, thiol-based oxidized polyethylene has been demonstrated to be an effective sorbent for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution, indicating its potential relation with water improvement.