Journal of Polymers and the Environment最新文献

{"title":"Uranium Removal from Water Samples by a New Adsorbent Based on Amino Acid Grafted Biopolymer/Polyacrylic Acid Using a High Energy Irradiation Method","authors":"Omid Sarafraz,&nbsp;Abdolhamid Bamoniri,&nbsp;Bi Bi Fatemeh Mirjalili,&nbsp;Reza Hafezi Moghaddam","doi":"10.1007/s10924-025-03636-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-025-03636-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A biocompatible hybrid hydrogel adsorbent was prepared by chemically grafting aspartic acid (AA) with pectin (Pc) and hybridizing it with polyacrylic acid (PAAc) using a high-energy electron irradiation method. The chemical structure of the hybrid hydrogel was evaluated through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The ability of hydrogel to remove uranium from aqueous samples was investigated. The parameters affecting the uranium removal process were optimized. After optimizing the parameters, the best irradiation dose for hydrogel production was 20 kGy and the best uranium adsorption conditions were pH = 7 and contact time 2 h. The adsorption capacity of the hybrid hydrogel was improved from 236.5 to 386.3 mg/g after modifying pectin with aspartic acid. The adsorption data were analyzed by different models, and the experimental results were in better agreement with the Langmuir isotherm. Uranium adsorption kinetics followed second-order pseudo model more closely. According to thermodynamic data, the uranium adsorption process by the proposed sorbent was endothermic and spontaneous. The performance of the hybrid hydrogel did not change significantly after 4 adsorption/desorption cycles. The results of this work introduced a new efficient adsorbent with biocompatibility and biodegradability properties for the practical applications of removing uranium from aqueous wastes.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><img></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"33 9","pages":"4162 - 4179"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Aluminum Triflate on Curing Kinetics, Degradation and Gas Analysis of Crosslinked Networks of Epoxidized Soybean Oil and Fumaric Acid","authors":"Elieber Barros,&nbsp;José Barreto,&nbsp;Nicole Soares,&nbsp;Amanda Araújo,&nbsp;Renato Melo,&nbsp;Mary Silva,&nbsp;Carlos Luna,&nbsp;Edcleide Araújo,&nbsp;Renate Wellen","doi":"10.1007/s10924-025-03640-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-025-03640-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>1– Optimization of ESO/FMA curing with addition of Al(OTf)₃. 2– Analysis of degradation gases from samples produced by TG-FTIR technique. 3– Control of cure kinetics with Al(OTf)₃ by DSC and FTIR.</p>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"33 9","pages":"4074 - 4090"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structure–Property Relationships of Renewable Ternary Polyesters Derived from Vanillin-Based Methyl Ester, Aliphatic Diacids, and Phenol Ether-Based Diols","authors":"Shuo Li,&nbsp;Tongan Xu,&nbsp;Ming Deng,&nbsp;Ruyan Jia,&nbsp;Lesly Dasilva Wandji Djouonkep","doi":"10.1007/s10924-025-03643-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-025-03643-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>As sustainable polymer development gains urgency, vanillin, a lignin-derived renewable compound, has emerged as a promising aromatic building block. Capitalizing on phenyl structure, a novel biphenyl diester monomer (DEBM) was prepared from bio-sourced methyl vanillate. Subsequently, via melt polymerization DEBM along with phenol ether-based diols (hydroquinone bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ether (HQEE) and 1,3-bis(2-hydroxyethoxy)benzene (HBE)) and aliphatic diacids (succinic acid and adipic acid), afforded a series of ternary aromatic-aliphatic copolyesters (P₁–P₄). The chemical structures were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectroscopy, molecular weight via gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermal transitions and stability through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and thermo-mechanical properties assessed by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile testing. From the results, the copolyesters were semi-crystalline in nature, with weight-average molecular weights (<i>M</i>_w) ranging from 3.55 to 4.9 × 10⁴ g/mol and polydispersity (PDI) within 1.58–2.13. The glass transition temperatures (<i>T</i>_g) varied between 57.5 and 77.1 °C, melting point (<i>T</i>_m) from 166.5 to 190.5 °C, and initial decomposition temperatures (<i>T</i>_{d, 5%}) within 370.3–389.5 °C, highlighting the satisfactory thermal stability of the copolyesters. Tensile testing demonstrated robust mechanical strength (42–47 MPa) along with elongation at break (284–316%), outperforming conventional polyesters and comparable to poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). Furthermore, hydrolytic degradation under varying pH (7 and 10) over 16 weeks revealed significantly advanced decomposition rates at pH 10 compared to pH 7, owing to rapid hydrolysis of ester and ether functionality, resulting in modest weight loss between 2.9 and 4.5%. By integrating flexible aliphatic diacid segments with varying aromatic components, one can tune the aromaticity and physicochemical properties of copolyesters, offering a sustainable alternative to petroleum-derived counterparts. These copolyesters could potentially become of great interest to industrial automobiles, specifically friction plates, while significantly addressing ecological concerns related to material decomposition after their end of life.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"33 9","pages":"4147 - 4161"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Development and Analysis of Modified Chitosan-Gelatin Composite Films Using Ultrasound Treatment Followed by Enzymatic Crosslinking","authors":"Neda Aliabbasi,&nbsp;Zahra Emam-Djomeh,&nbsp;Hassan Rezaeinia","doi":"10.1007/s10924-025-03632-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-025-03632-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This research aims to improve the physical and chemical characteristics of gelatin (GE)-chitosan (CH) composite films by adjusting their mass ratios (50:50, 75:25, 25:75). The findings revealed that a higher concentration of CH enhanced the tensile properties (TP) of the films, resulting in greater strength compared to those with a higher GE content. However, this increase in CH was associated with a reduction in elongation at rupture (ER). Importantly, films with elevated CH ratios demonstrated lower water vapor permeability (WVP) and solubility (WS). Films produced using the CH75:GE25 formulation exhibited superior mechanical strength with reduced WVP and WS, indicating their potential for further enhancements. This research also investigated the impact of high-intensity ultrasound (US) treatment in conjunction with microbial transglutaminase and tyrosinase (MTE) on the CH75:GE25 films. Applying US at 300 W with MTE treatments led to an elevation in thermal degradation temperature and enhanced thermal properties. FTIR analysis revealed that enzymatic activity and US treatment induced structural modifications and bond formation among biopolymers, especially in the regions of amides and the stretching vibrations of O–H and N–H. The synergistic effects of US and MTE treatments resulted in increased film thickness, decreased ER, and improved TP, which can be ascribed to the cross-linking of enzymes enhanced by US. Although integrating US and MTE treatments led to an increase in WVP, the overall findings indicated that this approach could significantly enhance the composition and physical characteristics of the composite films, resulting in a novel material with improved mechanical properties.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"33 9","pages":"4056 - 4073"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing the Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Poly(L-lactide)/Poly(D-lactide) Stereocomplex with Polybutylene Adipate-co-Terephthalate: Innovative Biopolymer Solutions for a Sustainable Future","authors":"Onpreeya Veang-In,&nbsp;Bancha Lamlerd,&nbsp;Samaneh Dehghani,&nbsp;Dutchanee Pholharn,&nbsp;Yottha Srithep","doi":"10.1007/s10924-025-03644-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-025-03644-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates the formation and reinforcement effects of stereocomplex polylactide (SC-PLA) when blended with poly butylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT). SC-PLA was prepared by blending equimolar amounts of PLLA and PDLA, and then incorporated with PBAT at varying concentrations (10–30 wt%). The formation of stereocomplex crystals was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, which revealed characteristic diffraction peaks at 11.9°, 20.6°, and 23.9°, corresponding to the triclinic crystalline structure of SC-PLA. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) also confirmed the formation of SC crystallites, indicated by a distinct melting peak at ~ 224 °C, approximately 50 °C higher than that of homopolymeric PLA. SC-PLA enhanced tensile strength, modulus, and thermal stability, while PBAT improved ductility. Blends with 10–20 wt% PBAT demonstrated optimal mechanical performance, outperforming neat PLLA and PLLA/PBAT systems in both strength and elongation at break. Heat deflection temperature and thermal resistance analysis showed excellent dimensional stability at elevated temperatures, particularly in SC-PLA/PBAT systems. Scanning electron microscopy revealed improved phase morphology and reduced interfacial voids, suggesting physical compatibilization via SC crystallites. These results highlight the synergistic potential of SC-PLA and PBAT to create biodegradable materials with balanced strength, flexibility, and heat resistance for sustainable applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"33 9","pages":"4022 - 4037"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Graphene and Hydroxyapatite-Enhanced Gelatin/PGS Electrospun Nanocomposite Scaffolds for Neural Tissue Engineering","authors":"Zahra Sokhani-Dastjerdi,&nbsp;Mehdi Ebrahimian-Hosseinabadi,&nbsp;Anousheh Zargar Kharazi","doi":"10.1007/s10924-025-03641-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-025-03641-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Neural tissue damage remains a significant clinical challenge due to the limited regenerative capacity of nervous tissues. Therefore, the development of biocompatible, conductive, and mechanically robust scaffolds is crucial to support neural regeneration. This study investigates the mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, degradation behavior, and cytotoxicity of electrospun scaffolds made from gelatin/poly (glycerol sebacate) (Gel/PGS) and their nanocomposite variants incorporating graphene (Gr) and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HA). The addition of graphene significantly enhanced the tensile strength and stiffness of the scaffolds. The Gel/PGS/1Gr/3HA scaffold exhibited the highest mechanical performance, with a tensile strength of 36.15 MPa and a tensile strain at break of 7.11%. Electrical impedance measurements revealed a notable increase in electrical conductivity with the incorporation of graphene, while the addition of hydroxyapatite at 3% and 6% by weight reduced electrical conductivity due to the insulating properties of HA. Degradation tests showed that scaffolds with graphene and HA exhibited slower degradation rates compared to Gel/PGS scaffolds, attributed to the reduced hydrophilicity of graphene and the crystalline structure of HA. The nanocomposite scaffolds demonstrated high biocompatibility, evidenced by the absence of cytotoxic effects and suitable adhesion of PC12 cells. Overall, Gel/PGS/1Gr/3HA electrospun nanocomposite scaffolds show great potential as functional platforms for neural tissue engineering.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"33 9","pages":"4038 - 4055"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bio-Based Guar-Borate Hydrogels: Processing Effects and Rheological Insights for High-Temperature Applications","authors":"María J. Martín-Alfonso,&nbsp;Francisco J. Martínez-Boza,&nbsp;Paul F. Luckham","doi":"10.1007/s10924-025-03630-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-025-03630-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The increasing emphasis on environmentally sustainable practices in industry has intensified interest in natural biopolymers for use in advanced material applications. Hydrogel systems composed of natural polymers, such as guar, xanthan gum, or carboxymethyl cellulose, crosslinked with borate or transition metal complexes are particularly relevant due to their renewability and tunable rheological properties. In this study, bio-based guar-borate hydrogels were prepared and rheologically characterised over a temperature range of 25 to 140 °C, using a rheo-reactor apparatus that enables measurements above the solvent's boiling point. Various geometries were employed depending on the viscosity of the formulation, allowing a broad range of shear rates to be explored. Gelation was found to occur rapidly, typically within 10 min; however, inefficient distribution of borate ions in highly viscous guar solutions delayed network formation. The gels exhibited significant increases in elastic properties and shear thickening upon crosslinking. Rheological properties, including gel strength and elasticity, decreased exponentially with temperature. Despite this, the gels retained high viscosity and viscoelasticity up to 100 °C, beyond which a discontinuous gel phase dominated the response. These findings contribute to the understanding of structure–property–processing relationships in natural polymer systems and highlight the potential of guar–borate gels for sustainable, high-temperature applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"33 9","pages":"4008 - 4021"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10924-025-03630-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Epoxy Resin from Renewable Phenols and Furfuraldehyde and Resorcinol: A Sustainable Approach to High Performance Coatings and Adhesives","authors":"Meet Patel,&nbsp;Pragnesh Rathva,&nbsp;Mahendrasinh Raj,&nbsp;Lata Raj","doi":"10.1007/s10924-025-03576-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-025-03576-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study presents the augment need for sustainable substitutes for petroleum-based materials by introducing the synthesis of three novel epoxy resins that can be utilize renewable resources. Three resins were synthesized by combining resorcinol and cardanol, hydroquinone and cardanol, catechol and cardanol. Furfuraldehyde was used as the replacement for conventional formaldehyde. Renewable cardanol was incorporated as a partial substitute up to 50% of the phenols to enhance sustainability without compromising performance. Epichlorohydrin was used for further epoxidation to synthesize phenolic resin and achieve the desired functionality. The resins exhibited viscosities in the range of 15,500–16,700 cP, epoxy equivalent weights (EEW) of 600–675 g/eq, and weight-average molecular weights between 2400 and 2680 g/mol, determined by GPC. FTIR demonstrated typical functional groups; the hydrolyzable chlorine content was less than 1.0%, including strong chemical stability. Adhesion tests on metal-to-metal, metal-to-wood, and wood-to-wood substrates yielded lap shear strengths between 25 and 25.60 MPa, respectively. Coatings applied on metal panels showed pencil hardness values of 8–9 H, chemical resistance over 7 days in acidic and alkaline environments, and dry film thickness of 133–135 μm. This work is novel because renewable phenols and furfuraldehyde, along with epichlorohydrin used to develop sustainable tetrafunctional epoxy resin with exceptional mechanical and chemical properties, closing the major gap in sustainable material research and providing an eco-friendly solution for adhesive and coating applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"33 9","pages":"3987 - 4007"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesis and Characterization of Water-Soluble Polypyrrole-Sulfonated Naphthalene Formaldehyde Composite as a Selective Turn-off Chemosensor for Pb2+, Antimicrobial Activity, and Molecular Docking Studies","authors":"Murugan Rajeswari,&nbsp;Konda Kannan Satheesh Kumar","doi":"10.1007/s10924-025-03634-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-025-03634-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The water-soluble polypyrrole-sulfonated naphthalene formaldehyde (PPy-SNF) composite was synthesized via a one-step in-situ oxidative polymerization process. The prepared PPy-SNF composites were characterized using FT-IR, UV-Vis, SEM, DAX, XRD, and DLS techniques. The conductivity of PPy-SNF 5 reached 0.249 Scm⁻¹, which is higher than the other mole ratios studied (PPy-SNF 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6). The fluorescence behaviors were investigated by photoluminescence spectroscopy. Pb²⁺ ions can effectively quench the fluorescence intensity of PPy-SNF via the inner filter effect. The proposed fluorescence probe’s excellent performance and satisfied linear ranges were obtained over the 2.2–3.5 µM range, with the lowest detecting limit of 2.9 nM attained by the PPy-SNF 5 composite. Also, the fluorescence probe was successfully applied to determine the Pb²⁺ ion in real sample analysis. The antimicrobial activity of SNF and PPy-SNF composites was tested against <i>S. aureus</i>,<i> E. coli</i>, and <i>C. albicans</i>. A higher zone of inhibition (ZOI) around the PPy-SNF 5 composite is highly effective against <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>E. coli</i> but less effective against <i>C. albicans</i>. The hemolytic assay proves the PPy-SNF composite was compatible with blood, and the hemolytic (%) was less than 1%. In cytotoxicity assays, the PPy-SNF composite exhibited non-cytotoxic towards peripheral blood mononuclear cells up to 800 µg/ml. Further, molecular docking of the PPy-SNF composite was executed with DNA gyrase. The calculated higher interaction energy towards <i>S. aureus</i> and <i>E. coli</i>. This study delivers dual applications of PPy-SNF composite as an antibacterial agent and Pb²⁺ ion detection in environmental fields.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div><div><p>Graphical representation of sensing, in-vitro, and computational studies of PPy-SNF composite</p></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"33 9","pages":"3952 - 3986"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145007887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Study of Acrylamide/(N-Hydroxyethyl)acrylamide Copolymer as a Flocculant for Kaolin Suspensions","authors":"Mehtab Nusrullah,&nbsp;Bin Lu,&nbsp;Guilan Miao,&nbsp;Amna Bibi,&nbsp;Yanmei Wang","doi":"10.1007/s10924-025-03633-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10924-025-03633-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Acrylamide-based non-ionic polymers have gained significant attention for wastewater treatment due to their high flocculation efficiency. However, optimizing the polymer dosage and knowing the role of hydrogen bonding in flocculation remain challenging. In this study, acrylamide/(N-hydroxyethyl)acrylamide (AM/HEA) copolymers at different molar ratios were synthesized via solution polymerization. The polymers were characterized using FTIR, ¹H NMR, DSC, and TGA. The kaolin suspension was employed to evaluate the flocculation performance of copolymers by the jar test method. The AM/HEA copolymers showed superior flocculation efficiency, achieving 98% turbidity removal at an optimal polymer flocculant dose of 0.2 mg/L, with a stirring speed of 400 rpm and a stirring time of 180 s. Zeta potential and TEM imaging results showed that flocculation primarily occurred through polymer adsorption on the kaolin surface, with its coiled conformation may enhance particle bridging. These results emphasize the critical role of polymer molecular structure in optimizing flocculation performance and suggest AM/HEA copolymers as efficient flocculants for water treatment exercises.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Polymers and the Environment","volume":"33 8","pages":"3919 - 3931"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145161309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}