Preparation and Characterization of Glycidyl Methacrylate-Based Inverse Vulcanized Copolymers

Despite the high sulfur content � 40 wt of inverse vulcanized copolymers, they surprisingly possess low uptake capacities � 26 mg/g. This necessitates to look for strategies to improve the mercury adsorption capacity of the inverse vulcanized copolymers. Most of the inverse vulcanized copolymers are incapable of forming hydrogen bond with aqueous feed due to their hydrophobicity and their low wettability which disfavor the Hg2+ capture. Metal ion-ligand accessibility plays a critical role in their interaction and for maximum utilization of binding sites, hence, must be given attention. Herein, we reported the utilization of glycidyl methacrylate as a monomer for the preparation of copolymer having �OH group to facilitate the mercury adsorption. The prepared copolymer was then characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to confirm the formation of the copolymer. FTIR spectra of all copolymers showed less intense peaks related to C=C at 1637 cm�1 compared to the spectrum of pure GMA except the copolymer obtained from reaction at 180 °C which showed a complete disappearance of the signal at 1637 cm�1 confirming the successful formation of copolymer 180 °C. SEM micrographs showed the composite morphology of the copolymer obtained at 175 °C further confirming the FTIR results, whereas the copolymer produced at 180 °C possesses smooth surface. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.