Recycling of styrofoam waste: synthesis, characterization and application of novel phenyl thiosemicarbazone surface

An attempt has been made to recycle Styrofoam waste to a novel functional polymer, Phenyl thiosemicarbazone surface (PTS). Polystyrene (PS) obtained from Styrofoam waste was acetylated and then condensed to PTS by reacting it with 4-Phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazide ligand and characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Synthesized PTS was applied successfully for the treatment of lead contaminated water by batch extraction method. Sorption variables were optimized (pH 8, adsorbent dose 53mg, initial Pb(II) ion concentration 10mgl-1 and agitation time 90min) by factorial design approach. Lead uptake by PTS was found much sensitive to the pH of Pb(II) ion solution. The maximum removal (99.61%) of Pb(II) ions was achieved at optimum conditions. The Langmuir and D-R isotherm study suggested the monolayer, favorable (RL=0.0001-0.01) and chemisorption (E=20.41±0.12kJmol-1) nature of the adsorption process. The sorption capacity of PTS was found to be 45.25±0.69mgg-1. The FT-IR spectroscopy study showed the involvement of nitrogen and sulphur of thiosemicarbazone moiety of PTS for the uptake of Pb(II) ions by five membered chelate formation.