Synthesis and characterization of chitosan-g-N-methyl piperazinium chloride: A hybrid flocculant

Flocculation is one of the most widely applied techniques for water treatment. Flocculants based on natural polymer has received more attention due to their eco-friendliness in recent years. New water soluble N-methyl piperazinium chloride grafted chitosan flocculant (chitosan-g-N-MPC) was successfully synthesized and thoroughly characterized using MR, NMR and powder X-ray diffraction analytical techniques. Incorporation of N-MPC enhanced the ionic character of the chitosan backbone and improved its water solubility. The flocculation performance of chitosan-g-N-MPC was tested against bentonite suspension. The flocculation performance of chitosan-g-N-MPC was investigated under various pH conditions. Turbidity and zeta potential measurements were employed to investigate the flocculation behavior of the chitosan-g-N-MPC. The characteristics of the industrial wastewater before and after flocculation were analyzed. The morphology of the polymer and flocs were studied by TEM analysis. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.