Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Water by Cross-Linked Potato Di-Starch Phosphate Polymer

Abstract

Potato di-starch phosphate polymer was synthesized by cross-linking potato starch with phosphorus oxy-chloride in basic medium and was then dispersed (0.2-1%) in aqueous solutions of divalent heavy metal ions (Cu2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, and Pb2+), to investigate their removal efficiency by the starch and was found to increase with increase in the polymeric starch content and increase in the heavy metal ion concentration. The removal order was found to be Pb2+ (78.1%) > Cu2+ (58.5%) > Zn2+ (20.5%) > Ni2+ (17.3%) against the constant polymeric starch content. UV-Visible, Fluorescence, FT-IR, SEM, and CHN techniques were used for characterization of different complexes formed. Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.