Effect of reaction parameters on Arsenic removal capacity from aqueous solutions using modified magnetic PU foam nanocomposite

Abstract

A novel Fe3O4 -polyurethane (PU) foam nanocomposite was fabricated and utilized to study the removal of heavy metal ions from water. Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles with (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) was synthesized and incorporated into polyurethane foam. Different characterization methods, such as TEM, BET, EDS, SEM and optical microscopy, were used to evaluate the properties of synthesized nanoparticles and modified foam. The effects of experimental parameters, such as reaction time, adsorbent weight, pH level, and arsenic concentration on the performance of modified PU toward removal of arsenic removal, were investigated. Furthermore, the performance of the modified nanocomposite foam for removal of other heavy metal ions, such as Zn and Cd, was studied under the same optimum reaction condition. The modified magnetite polyurethane foam nanocomposite demonstrated remarkable adsorption capacity for arsenic species with good stability and reusability after five successive adsorption/desorption cycles. The findings of this study suggest that Fe3O4@APTES-PU foam can be further modified to remove other forms of hazardous heavy metal ions from wastewater and drinking water.