Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present work describes the synthesis of hydroxyapatite‐lambda carrageenan CaHAp‐(λ‐Carr) using an aqueous co‐precipitation method. The characterization of the prepared hybrid compounds was achieved using chemical analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, powder X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and specific surface area. The results gleaned from X‐ray powder analysis proved the presence of (λ‐Carr) and revealed that the increase of its concentration leads to the decrease of the CaHAp crystallinity. Fourier transform Infrared spectra show the presence of (λ‐Carr) and CaHAp characteristic vibrations in the resulting product. Scanning electron microscopy analyses reveal that the morphology of particles was changed by grafting and they are characterized by aggregates of different sizes and irregular shapes. After grafting BET measurements yielded particle specific surface areas ranging from 93 to 260 m2 g−1 depending on the grafted biopolymer. The prepared products were, further, applied for the adsorption of methylene blue (a cationic dye) from aqueous suspension. The adsorption capacity was determined with respect to pH value, the initial dye concentration, time contact, and temperature. The kinetic, thermodynamic, and adsorption isotherm models were assessed for the description of the dye adsorption process. The experimental resulting data show that the prepared hybrid compound CaHAp‐(λ‐Carr) is an efficient adsorbent for the removal of dyes. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45385.