Abstract
•Versapility of AFM, XPS, SEM and EDS to describe metal-resin's surface interaction.•High adsorption capacity of dpvbs towards Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions in aqueous medium.•The pseudo-second order equation is the model that best fits the experimental kinetic data.
The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of the Amberlite XAD-16-based chelating resin, 1,8-(3,6-dithiaoctyl)-4-polyvinylbenzenesulphonate (dpvbs), for the removal of the highly lethal Pb(II) and Cd(II) from aqueous solutions. The extractor`s behavior is examined, as adsorbent as well as coordinating agent showing structural changes upon the interaction with the targeted metal ions. Elemental analyses, FTIR, electronic spectra, EDS and XPS were used to provide a close image of the composition, structural and morphological changes upon the interaction with Pb(II) and Cd(II). Thermal behavior of the sorption products, compared with the coordinating resin, were also, studied and the estimated thermodynamic parameters indicated an endothermic spontaneous sorption mechanism. The BET surface area, BJH desorption volume and the pore diameters increased upon chelation with Cd(II) and Pb(II), indicating the destruction of the cross-linking of the free resin. SEM and AFM studies confirmed the surface morphological change of dpvbs, after sorption processes. The sorption effectiveness was examined utilizing batch and column methods, showing high removal efficiency with an average sorption of 99.9%. dpvbs was tested for the removal of metal ions from tap watershowing a metal uptake of almost the same after 3 cycles, with an efficiency of 98–99%.