Novel biodegradable polymeric flocculants were produced by conventional redox grafting, microwave-initiated and microwave-assisted grafting of acrylamide to tamarind kernel polysaccharide (TKP). The graft copolymers were characterized by viscometry, elemental analysis, molecular weight determination using SLS analysis, and NMR spectroscopy. The flocculation efficiency of the grafting products in kaolin suspension, municipal sewage wastewater and textile industry wastewater was primarily dependent on the length of the grafted polyacrylamide chain. The flocculant obtained by microwave-assisted grafting method was superior to TKP and polyacrylamide-based commercial flocculant (Rishfloc 226 LV) in flocculation tests. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.