Studies on macro reticular organic resin as low cost ion-exchangers

Sulphonated carbon derived from plant viz., Nelumbo Nucifera has been prepared and blended with Phenol-Formaldehyde Resin (PFR) by varying the percentage of blending (%w/w) and Physico-chemical parameters like, density, gravimetric swelling (%) attritional breaking (%) and Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) of various metal ions have been determined. For a given metal ion, CEC decreases with the increase in percentage of blending NNSC with PFR. The blending of PFR upto 30% (w/w) of Nelumbo nucifera retains almost all the essential physico-chemical characteristics including CEC, as compared to that of the PFR. It is concluded that the sulphonated Nelumbo nucifera carbon could be used as blending material in the PFR to lower the cost of the ion-exchange resin for water and wastewater treatment, especially for the removal of metal ions.