Simple preparation and enhanced adsorption properties of loofah fiber adsorbent by ultraviolet radiation graft

Acrylic acid grafted natural loofah fiber (denoted as AGL) was prepared by an ultraviolet radiation graft. The grafting yield of AGL was of 516.3 wt% under phenomenon benzophenone (BP, photo-initiator) of 0.1 wt%, acrylic acid (AA) concentrations of 10 wt%, time of 6 h and ultraviolet power of 7 W at room temperature (298.15 K). The enhanced adsorption of AGL proved highly effective in absorbing Cu(II), Ni (II), and Ce(III), where the absorbed amount reached 309.15 mg/g, 331.46 mg/g, and 358.79 mg/g, respectively. The recycling experiment showed that AGL has good reuse performance. These findings suggest that AGL has a considerable potential for the application of metal ions removed from waste water. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.