Abstract
The efficiency of PP-g-AA and PP-g-St nonwoven fabric synthesized by photoinduced polymerization as an adsorbent for removal $NH_3-N$ from waste water was evaluated. The results evidently indicate that the adsorption capacities of $NH_3-N$ onto PP-g-AA nonwoven fabric were extremely superior to those onto sulfonated PP-g-St nonwoven fabric, PK and zeolite. PP-g-AA nonwoven fabric showed the maximum adsorption capacity of $NH_3-N$ at the degree of grafting of 80 wt.%. The adsorption behaviour of $NH_3-N$ onto PP-g-AA and sulfonated PP-g-St nonwoven fabric was controlled by an ion exchange reaction, and tended to be similar to both trends of Langmiur and Freundlish isotherm. Futhermore, PP-g-AA non-woven fabric could be regenerated more than 5 times by a simple washing with 0.1N HCl with no decrease of adsorption capacity and no degradation of physical properties. Also sulfonated PP-g-St nonwoven fabric could be regenerated by washing with 0.1N ${H_2}{O_4}$. However, their regeneration efficiency was significantly low because grafting layer acted as functional radical for adsorption was continuously desquamated in the adsorption or regeneration processes, which resulted in decrease of adsorption capacity and weight of adsorbent. All results obtained from this study indicate that the $NH_3-N$ removal capacity of PP-g-AA non-woven fabric was extremely superior to those of PP-g-St non-woven fabric, PK and zeolite.