Elimination of Turbidity from a Maghnite Suspension by Coagulation/Flocculation Using a Copolymer Modified from N-vinyl Imidazole

In this work, N-vinyl imidazole (NVI) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) were combined to create Poly(NVI-GMA). The synthesis of this novel cationic copolymer was initiated using high-temperature, ultraviolet (UV), and microwave radiation. The cationic level of Poly(NVI-GMA) was optimized during the copolymerization process. The ideal synthesis conditions included a 2% initiator concentration, equal proportions of NVI and GMA (50% (v/v) each), a polymerization duration of 4 minutes, and an acidic pH reaction media. UV-visible, FTIR, and 1H-NMR techniques were employed to examine the structure of the copolymer. To investigate the flocculation performance of the highly cationic Poly(NVI-GMA) in purifying water with high turbidity, several analyses, including Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric (TGA) analyses, were conducted to study and summarize the flocculation mechanism. Experimental simulations utilizing maghnite as a coagulant yielded a transmittance of 96.9% in the supernatant with a concentration of 6 mg/L, a brief stirring duration of 20 minutes, an acidic pH, and a stirring speed of 200 rpm