Synthesis, characterization and analytical applications of a new composite cation exchanger cellulose acetate-Zr(IV) molybdophosphate

A new composite cation exchanger cellulose acetate-Zr(IV) molybdophosphate was synthesized because composite materials formed by the combination of inorganic ion exchangers of multivalent metal acid salts and organic polymers (cellulose acetate, polyaniline, polythiophene, polypyrrole, Nylon 6,6, etc.), providing a new class of ‘organic–inorganic’ composite ion exchangers with better mechanical and granulometric properties, good ion exchange capacity, reproducibility, higher stability and selectivity for heavy metals. The physico-chemical properties of this material were determined using some instrumental analyses viz. FTIR, X-ray, TGA–DTA and SEM. Ion exchange capacity, pH titrations, elution and distribution behavior were also carried out to understand the ion exchange behavior of the material. Its selectivity was examined by achieving some important binary separations like Mg(II)–Ca(II), Zn(II)–Ca(III), Fe(III)–Cr(III), Zn(II)–Cr(III), Cd(II)–Hg(II), Cd(II)–Cr(III) on its column. This new exchanger was offered a variety of technological opportunity for quantitative determination and separation of Cr3+ from a synthetic mixture of metal ions and Ca2+ from commercially available vitamin and minerals formulation namely Recovit.