Metal adsorption of carboxymethyl cellulose/carboxymethyl chitosan blend hydrogels prepared by Gamma irradiation

Blend hydrogels; based on the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCts) were prepared by gamma-irradiation of a high concentrated CMC/CMCts aqueous solution. Properties of the hydrogels, such as get fraction, swelling ratio, gel strength, and metal adsorption for Pb and Au were investigated. The gel fraction increased with increasing dose, while the swelling ratio decreased with increasing it. The obtained blend hydrogels had high adsorption performance which was controlled by adjusting the composition of CMC/CMCts. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.