Radiation Polymerization of Hydrophilic Monomers for Producing Hydrogel Used in Waste Treatment Processes

Co60-γ radiation was used in the synthesis of bipolymer hydrogel, using acrylamide (AAm), acrylic acid (AAc), and sodium acrylate. The parameters affecting preparation of these hydrogels such as monomer ratio, crosslinking agent ratio, and irradiation dose have been studied. The swelling behavior of these hydrogels was studied under different preparation conditions. The experimental results showed that the gel fraction of the produced hydrogel depends mainly on the irradiation dose, and the degree of swelling was intimately related to irradiation dose and blending ratio of the two monomers. Characterization of the obtained hydrogel was carried out using spectroscopic analysis such as infrared (IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the morphology of the prepared hydrogels using X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques have been studied. The efficiency of these hydrogels for different metal ions adsorption (such as Cu2+, Co2+, Ni2+, and Cr2+) was studied using ICP technique. In addition, the parameters affecting the absorption efficiency, such as time of treatment and pH value were investigated.