Peculiarities of Sorption of Copper(II) Ions by Modified Wool Keratin

Abstract

The results of studying the equilibrium and kinetics of Cu²⁺ ions’ sorption from aqueous solutions by the initial and modified wool keratin are presented. The modified sorbent’s strong sorption properties are the result of the formation of hydroxamic acid groups on its surface on retention of the initial keratin’s excess carboxyl groups. The sharp change of sorption by wool keratin in the range of an isoelectric point is related to the change in the degree of the dissociation of the excess carboxyl groups. The IR-spectra and SEM-images of the initial and modified sorbent samples that indicate the structural changes caused by the immobilization of new functional groups on the wool keratin surface are presented.