Use of styrene–divinylbenzene grafted with aminoethylaminomethyl groups and various ionic liquids in the removal process of thallium and strontium

Abstract

Abstract This work reports the adsorption of thallium and strontium from aqueous solutions onto styrene-divinylbenzene grafted with aminoethylaminomethyl groups which was impregnated with various ionic liquids [trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride ionic liquid – (Cyphos IL-101); 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate – (OmimBF4) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate – (BmimPF6)]. The impregnation of the solid support with the studied ionic liquids was realized through ultrasonication method. The obtained impregnated materials have been subjected to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Their adsorption performance in the removal process of thallium and strontium from aqueous solutions was studied as a function of the initial concentration of metal ions. Adsorption isotherms like Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin–Radushkevich (D–R) and Temkin were used to analyze the equilibrium data at different concentrations. The studied materials showed a better adsorption performance in the removal process of strontium ions compared to the adsorption performance obtained in case of thallium ions removal process. From the studied ionic liquids, (OmimBF4) presented the most efficient performance for the removal of the studied metal ions.