A new chelating terpolymer resin of sulphanilic acid-dithiooxamide-formaldehyde (SDTOF) was synthesized. Dithiooxamide-formaldehyde (DTOF) was prepared by the reaction of dithiooxamide and formaldehyde. These resins were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, and scanning electron microscopy. Chelating resins beads were applied for adsorption of nickel (II) ions by batch and column techniques. Sorption experiments were performed by varying pH, agitation time, sorbent dosage and initial concentration of nickel (II) ion solution. SDTOF and DTOF resins showed adsorption capacity of 188.3 and 99.8 mg g(-1), respectively. Nickel adsorption isotherms data were fitted to Langmuir isotherm. Kinetic studies showed the adsorption process followed pseudosecond-order rate model. Desorption of Ni(II) ions was done using 0.1 M HCl, HNO3, and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid solutions. The reusability of SDTOF and DTOF resins for the removal of Ni(II) ions was also determined after 10 sorption-desorption cycles. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:163-172, 2015. (c) 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers