Efficient capture of mercury ions by a novel organic melamine polymer

Mercury, as a heavy metal pollutant, severely threatens human health and the environment. In this work, a novel porous polymeric material, MMP (melamine polymer), was prepared using melamine as a precursor to removing Hg2+ from aqueous solutions. The characterization of the material showed that the MMP exhibited a two-dimensional folded sheet structure with a high specific surface area and pore size and was amorphous. FT-IR spectra showed the presence of amide bonds, which proved that the MMP was successfully synthesized and had good stability. The reaction kinetics and proposed secondary kinetics of the system after different adsorption times of MMP in mercury nitrate solution found that the adsorption rate of MMP could reach more than 90% at a concentration lower than 2000 mg·L−1. The removal capacity of saturated mercury ions was 2018.1 mg·g−1. Furthermore, it had good adsorption performance for mercury ions in a wide range of pH. The MMP has a high adsorption capacity and high adsorption rate for mercury ions, which is well demonstrated. The development of the material has a specific guiding effect on the existing treatment technology of mercury waste liquid. It provides a new method to solve the problem of mercury waste liquid pollution in functional factories.