Adsorption of Phenol from Aqueous Solutions Using a Hydrophilic Acrylic Ester Resin

A new hydrophilic acrylic ester resin (MSE-resin) was synthesized by suspension polymerization from methyl methacrylate (MMA), sodium p-styrene sulfonate (SSS), and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA). Batch adsorption studies indicated that the optimum adsorption was achieved when pH was 5, contact time 180 min, adsorbent dose 0.2 g, initial concentration 2,000 mg/L, and temperature 313 K. Experimental data showed a good fit with the pseudosecond-order kinetic model. Intraparticle diffusion analysis indicated that the intraparticle diffusion was involved in the adsorption process, but it was not the only rate-limiting step. Adsorption isotherms of phenol were linearly correlated and found to be well represented by the Freundlich model. Thermodynamic parameters such as changes in the enthalpy (ΔH), free energy (ΔG), and entropy (ΔS) indicated that the process of adsorption phenol on MSE-resin was endothermic and spontaneous.