The current technology allows to achieve new macroporous superadsorbent polymeric materials able to remove toxic contaminants from water and soil showing excellent sequestering properties against arsenate As (V), chromate Cr (VI) and Borate B (III) ions. The material is obtained by radical cryopolymerization of the monomer 4'-vinyl-benzyl-N-methyl-D-glucamine and / or its mixtures with hydroxyethyl-methacrylate (HEMA). The technical effect of such type of process is to provide materials with a typical high porosity morphology and therefore with high performance in terms of adsorption and complexation speed. Compared to polymeric systems already known, the proposed filtering material shows a considerably high and improved sequestering and adsorbing capacity. Moreover, with simple washing operations at controlled pH, it can dispose of the adsorbed toxic residues and to be reused, keeping the same properties for a fair number of cycles.
Considering the same material weight, the polymeric cryogels show a higher adsorption efficiency towards As (V), Cr (VI) and B(III) if compared with commercial resins currently on the market. Capture tests of arsenic and chromium performed at neutral pH, highlight the possibility of reaching concentrations much lower than similar systems reported in literature as well as present in the market, by ensuring quickly the recommended limits by WHO for domestic water. The proposed method could also solve the operational complexity and costs of the technologies currently in use by making simple recyclable filter cartridges. Thank to their spongy nature the materials can be easily disposed by holding reduced space.
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