Reusable Soft Hydrogels for Gold Recovery from Acidic Environments

Abstract

In this study, poly((N-(hydroxymethyl) acrylamide)–co-1-allyl-2-thiourea) hydrogels were synthesized by free radical crosslinking copolymerization of N-(hydroxymethyl) acrylamide monomer with the addition of a co-monomer 1-allyl-2-thiourea, and N, N′-methylenebisacrylamide as the crosslinker. The copolymer, poly((N-(hydroxymethyl) acrylamide)–co-1-allyl-2-thiourea), was used as a specific sorbent for the recovery of gold. The characteristics of the hydrogels were examined by elemental analyzer and swelling experiments. The effect of pH on the absorption of gold, and the separation and recovery of gold ions from ore samples were investigated. Measurement of absorbed gold was determined by using F-AAS and GF-AAS.