Ecofriendly chitosan-based super sorbent obtained under microwave radiation for valuable metals recovery from wastewater

This paper deals with the preparation and characterization of novel super-sorbent materials prepared from chitosan under microwave-assisted conditions according to Sustained Development principles applicable in valuable metals recovery. For their obtainment, waste oil has been applied which was used as a raw material for azelaic acid eco-synthesis further applied to modify chitosan. Sorbents were tested over their physicochemical properties and ability to recover precious metals ions: silver, copper, and gold by determining sorption capacity and removal efficiency. The sorption behaviors were in the most cases predictable on the contrary to currently known sorbents of biological origin which shows a high commercial potential of the newly developed sorbents. The best results were obtained for gold ions; however, the proposed sorbents exhibit versatility and may be applied to recover various metals. Proposed materials constitute a promising alternative to waste-derived sorbents which despite low price have irrecoverable characteristics.