Synthesis and Use of PET Fibers Grafted with 4-Vinyl Pyridine and 2-Methylpropenoic Acid for Removal of Rhodamine B and Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solutions

Grafting of 4-vinyl pyridine (4-VP) and 2-methylpropenoic acid (MPA) onto poly (ethylene terephthalate) fibers (PET) was achieved via chemical grafting technique. A new fibrous adsorbent was used to the removal of rhodamine B (RB) and methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions through batch sorption method. The influence of pH, graft yield, removal time and initial concentration were investigated to study the adsorbing effect of 4-VP and MPA grafted PET fibers (4-VP/MPA-g-PET). The optimum pH values for RB and MB were found to be 12 and 10 respectively. The maximum adsorption capacities of grafted PET fibers were found to be 45.28 mg g-1 for RB and 56.72 mg g-1 for MB at 250 ppm. Almost all adsorbed dyes were eluted by acetic acid in methyl alcohol. Ten removal-desorption cycles indicated that the reactive fibers were favourable for use it again without a notable change in removal capacity. Consequently, the 4-VP/MPA-g-PET fibers have demonstrated potential as an effective adsorbent for the extremely effective removal of cationic dyes from aqueous media