LAUSR

Abstract Phenolic compounds are produced in thermal cracking processes, drugs and herbicides synthesis and other industrial processes. Such compounds exhibit high toxicity for aquatic environment and for aquatic life. So, due to their high toxicity is important to treat waters with phenols content. For the treatment of waste waters containing phenols or phenolic compounds several unconventional methods are applied, such as: inverse osmosis, coagulation, solvent extraction, flotation–coagulation combined processes, adsorption, and anaerobic processes. From all used remediation processes adsorption has a higher applicability degree due to its main advantages: simplicity, ease of use and operation and high efficiency. Through time activated carbon and ashes were used as adsorbent materials for phenols remediation, but such materials present the main disadvantage of low regeneration degree. Thus, it is important to develop and use new adsorbents with higher regeneration degree and longer life time. Polymeric materials have been used for removal of organic compounds and/or metal ions from contaminated water due to their versatility in functionality, morphology and texture properties. Chemical modification of polymeric matrices with pendant functional groups is a valuable method used to improve the surface and interface chemistry of polymeric adsorbents, to achieve better adsorption performance and to design tailor-made adsorbents with respect to specific pollutants. In present study new adsorbent materials were obtained starting from chloromethylated styrene-divinylbenzene copolymers with different degrees of crosslinking (6.7%, 12% and respectively 15% DVB), functionalized by reaction with 3-hydroxibenzaldehyde. The polymeric intermediates were further modified by polymer-analogous reaction with iso-propylamine and diethylphosphite with the aim to improve their adsorptive properties. The obtained polymeric adsorbents were tested for remediation of waters containing phenol (P), 2,3-dimethylphenol (2,3-DMP) and 2,4,6-trimethyl-phenol (2,4,6-TMP). Based on obtained experimental data the adsorption mechanism, process kinetics and thermodynamics were studied.