ADSORPTION BEHAVIOR AND SEPARATION OF COPPER(II) IONS ON CELLULOSE TRIACETATE POLYMER CONTAINING ALPHA-HYDROXY OXIME COMPOUNDS

A series of alpha-hydroxy oxime compounds was synthesized and characterized. A new type of adsorbent, cellulose triacetate (TAC) powder (20-60 mesh) containing five kinds of alpha-oxime compounds such as alpha-benzoin oxime and 2-hydroxyphenyl ethyl ketone oxime (HPEKO), was prepared by dissolving cellulose triacetate with alpha-oxime in dichloromethane and pouring the mixture into hot water. The adsorption behaviour with alpha-oxime-TAC powders was examined for seven metal ions from solution of pH 2-10. Copper(II) was quantitatively retained on the HPEKO-TAC in the pH range 4-10 in batch experiments, whereas negligible adsorption was obtained for cobalt(II), iron(III) and iron(II); palladium(II) was also quantitatively adsorbed. The retention capacity of copper(II) and nickel(II) on the loaded adsorbent was about 1.4 and 1.1 mg g-1 at pH 5.9 and 8.1, respectively. Copper(II) retained on the column was completely eluted with 50 cm3 of 0.25 mol dm-3 hydrochloric acid, and separated from nickel(II) and iron(III).