Cation Exchange Properties of a Terpolymer: Synthesis and Characterization

4-hydroxybenzoic acid- thiourea- formaldehyde (4-HBTUF) terpolymer has been prepared by polycondensation technique in 2:3:5 mole ratio using 2M H2SO4 as a catalyst was proved to be a selective chelation ion-exchange for certain metals. The characterization and the structural elucidation of the prepared terpolymer were confirmed by elemental analysis, FTIR and 1H-NMR spectral studies. The morphological feature of the 4-HBTUF tepolymer was established by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The gel permeation chromatography (GPC) was used to determine the average molecular weight of the terpolymer resin. The cation-exchange properties of the terpolymer were determined by batch equilibrium method. The method involves ion-exchange behavior of the terpolymer with specific cations like Cd2+, Mg2+, Fe3+, Cu2+, and UO22+ in various electrolytes, wide pH ranges and different time intervals. The results of the ion-exchange studies reveal that the 4-HBTUF terpolymer was found to be an excellent cation-exchanger for selective metal ions. Hence the resin can be used to recover metal ions from waste solutions and used for the purpose of purification of waste water and for the removal of iron from boiler water. The ion-exchange capacity of the terpolymer has also been compared with the other commercial resins