Preparation and Application of Modified Magnetic Particles to Remove Phosphate in Aqueous Media

In this work, magnetic particles were firstly protected by oleic acid, and then polymers, the polymers was prepared with allyl-thiourea as the functional monomer, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linking agent, 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile as the initiator, and acetonitrile as the solvent. The magnetic polymers were analyzed by FT-IR, X-ray diffraction, and a vibrating sample magnetometer to obtain the morphological and magnetic properties. The adsorption of phosphate on the magnetic polymers was investigated, including pH effect, initial concentration, and temperature. The results proved that the adsorbent was paramagnetic and successfully loaded with the poly-thiourea group. The data was well fitted to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 55.20 mg-P g(-1). Furthermore, desorption of phosphate from the adsorbent could be achieved efficiently by 0.5 mol L(-1) NaOH, reusability was studied by repeating adsorption-desorption cycles five times.