Removal of Trinitrotoluene by molecular template polymers and optimization with Taguchi software

Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is one of the most utilized and prevailing compound currently used as explosive and dynamic substance in manufacturing bombs, dynamites and chemicals; also commonly applied as a mean in terrorist activities and attacks. Relatively low-cost and convenient handling properties, stability and durability, and the capacity to be melted and molded are listed as some of the reasons for widespread and extensive use of this substance in all most all of the ammunitions. This compound penetrates groundwater expeditiously and causes anemia in 2ng ml-1 density and chemical concentration. In current study, the methodology of Taguchi, sometimes called robust design methods, is used to optimize molecularly imprinted polymer absorption capacity to remove Trinitrotoluene from Aqueous environment. The effect of 4 factors including, functional monomer, template, initiator and time of nitrogen injection on molecularly imprinted polymer absorption capacity are analyzed. The results obtained using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) shows that the amount of Meth acrylic acid, abbreviated MAA, as a functional monomer with efficacy of 54.44%; is the most influential agent in accordance with molecularly imprinted polymer absorption capacity. Statistical analysis accomplished using Taguchi method has predicted that optimization conditions to achieve maximum rate in absorption capacity is defined as 0.7 ml of templating agent (cross-linker), 18 mg of initiator (AIBN) and 10 min of nitrogen injection. The maximum amount of absorption predicted by Analysis of Variance in Taguchi software, in aforementioned optimization conditions, is 0.78±0.002 mg/g. however, the average absorption capacity for the case of current study is 0.65 mg/g.