Recycling of Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) Waste Sheets to Synthesize Catalyst-Free Bi- Functional Cation Exchange Resin for Sequestering of Toxic Pollutant

A simple and green method for the recovery of methyl methacrylate (MMA) has been developed by recycling waste sheets of poly (methyl methacrylate) without using any catalyst. The liquefaction yield was 97.33% while the purity of recovered MMA was up to 92%. The recovered monomer utilized for the synthesis of methylmethacrylate-copolymer-divinylbenzene at 20% cross-linking in the presence of different porogens (methyl isobutylketone, cyclohexane, toluene, and cyclohexanone) by suspension polymerization. The same copolymer was also synthesized but with different cross-linking percentages such as 4, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 40% in the presence of a single porogen (methyl isobutylketone). Different copolymers having pore volumes in the range of 0.120 to 0.682 mL/g were obtained. The pendant –COOCH 3 groups within the polymeric chain were converted to –COOH groups via acid hydrolysis, accompanied by the attachment of –SO 3 H groups to phenyl rings. FTIR, UV-Vis spectrometry and HPLC techniques were used for qualitative and quantitative analyses of–COOH and –SO 3 H groups. The obtained results were compared with copolymers and resin synthesized using commercial MMA, displaying similar behavior. The resin derived from the recovered monomer was utilized for Co 2+ ion removal at various pH levels, demonstrating excellent performance.