Preparation of cotton-based fibrous adsorbents for the removal of heavy metal ions

Cotton fiber functionalized with tetraethylenepentamine and chitosan (CTPC) was prepared and used as absorbents for the removal of Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cr(III) ions from aqueous solution. The functionalized materials (CTPC) were characterized by SEM/EDX, FTIR, BET and XRD to confirm the characterization and structural changes of fibers before and after the modifying process. The adsorption performance of CTPC was investigated with different pH, contact time and initial concentration of three kinds of metal ions. Results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity was 81.97 mg g−1 for Cu(II), 123.46 mg g−1 for Pb(II) and 72.99 mg g−1 for Cr(III) based on the Langmuir isotherm model at optimal pH (5.0). Adsorption kinetics of CTPC fibers for Cu(II), Pb(II), and Cr(III) ions followed the pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption-desorption experiments demonstrated that CTPC showed better stability, and CTPC would be an effective and practical material for the treatment and recycling of heavy metal ions in the wastewater.