Abolfazl Barati - Department of chemical engineering, Faculty of engineering, Arak University, Arak, Iran.
Mojgan Zenedehdel - Department of chemical engineering, Faculty of engineering, Arak University, Arak, Iran.
Hanieh Alikhani - Department of chemistry, Faculty of science, Arak University, Arak, Iran.
Atefeh Hekmat - Department of chemical engineering, Faculty of engineering, Arak University, Arak, Iran.

A new, semi-interpenetrating hydrogel was tested for its ability to remove cationic dye from aqueous solution. Granules of network composed of poly (acrylamide-co-potasium acrylate) and poly (vinyl alcohol) had been utilized as a sorbent for uptake methylene blue (MB). The effects of various experimental parameters (e.g. acrylamide concentration, hydrolysis of acrylic acid, crosslinker concentration and concentration of linear polymer (PVA)) were investigated and optimal experimental conditions were ascertained. A weighed quantity of dry sIPN hydrogel were immersed in 50 ppm MB solution and kept at 37o C. The amount of MB adsorbed was measured spectrophotometrically (λ= 661.6 nm) in periodically taken solution samples. The maximum dye absorption concentration for network was 95%. Interestingly, it wasn’t observed any dye desorption of MB/polymer solutions. Then the composites can be used as good membranes for removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solution while they won’t release harmful materials in water.

sIPN, Hydrogel, Cationic dye, Absorption, Methylene blue