An Eco-friendly Synthesis of A Terpolymer Resin: Characterization and Chelation Ion-exchange Property

Anthranilic acid-thiourea-formaldehyde terpolymer resin was synthesized by an eco-friendly technique using dimethylformamide as a reaction medium. The resin was characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, thermal analysis and viscosity-average molecular weight. The physicochemical parameters have been evaluated for the terpolymer resin. The kinetic parameters such as energy of activation and the order of the reaction have also been evaluated on the basis of the thermogravimetric data using Freeman-Caroll method. The surface morphology of the terpolymer resin was examined by scanning electron microscopy and the transition state between crystalline and amorphous nature was established. The colour of the terpolymer resin was confirmed by optical microscopy. The electrical property of the terpolymer resin showed an appreciable change in its conductivity at various concentrations and temperatures. One of the important applications of these types of polymers is their capability to act as chelating ion-exchangers. The chelation ion-exchange property of the terpolymer showed a powerful adsorption towards specific metal ions like Zn2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, Ba2+, and Mg2+. A batch equilibration method was adopted to study the selectivity of the metalion uptake involving the measurement of the distribution of the given metal ion between the polymer sample and a solution containing the metalion over a wide range of concentrations and pHs of different electrolytes.