Metal ion sorption and swelling studies of psyllium and acrylic acid based hydrogels

In order to utilize the psyllium husk a natural polysaccharide for developing new green polymeric materials for specialty applications, we have prepared psyllium and acrylic acid based polymeric networks by using N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (N,N-MBAAm) as crosslinker. The polymeric networks thus formed have been characterized with scanning electron micrography (SEM), FTIR and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) techniques to study various structural aspects of the networks. This paper discusses the swelling response of the polymeric networks as a function of time, temperature, pH and [NaCl]. Equilibrium swelling has been observed to depend on both structural aspects of the polymers and environmental factors. The swelling response indicates that these materials are potential candidates for use in colon specific drug delivery. Metal ion sorption shows that these polymeric networks can be used for removal, separation, and enrichment of hazardous metal ions from aqueous solutions and can play an important role for environmental remediation of municipal and industrial wastewater.