Application of full-factorial design in the synthesis of polypropylene-g-poly(glycidyl methacrylate) functional material for metal ion adsorption

The graft polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate onto electron beam pre-irradiated polypropylene (PP) nonwoven fabric was optimized using a 43 full factorial design analysis. The analysis yielded a polynomial equation that relates the linear, quadratic and interaction effects of the independent parameters to degree of grafting (Dg). The linear terms (i.e. absorbed dose, reaction time and monomer concentration), quadratic terms of time and concentration, and interaction term between absorbed dose and time were determined as significant independent parameters based from analysis of variance (ANOVA). The optimum grafting time and absorbed dose to achieve 150% Dg at 5% monomer concentration were 3.5 h and 39.8 kGy, respectively. The pristine PP, polypropylene-g-poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PP-g-PGMA) and functionalized grafted materials were characterized using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The affinities of the synthesized adsorbents towards the target metal ions at pH 4 were established to be in the following order: Cr(VI) >> Pb(II) ~ Cd(II) for the amine functionalized PP-g-PGMA; and Pb(II) > Cd(II) > Cr(VI) for the carboxylic acid functionalized PP-g-PGMA.