Abstract
Rare earth elements and precious metals have key multiple applications in varying fields inclusive of electronics, renewable energy and healthcare. Europium is often recovered in the recycling process as an essential metal having utility in several electronic items. Here, we report the preparation of a bio-sorbent, a self-assembly technique of lysozyme fibrils on phytate melamine (named LF-MP) for the recovery of Eu(III) from compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) waste. Spectroscopy-related techniques and electron microscopy not only confirms their interaction between the LF-MP and Eu(III) but also provided new insight into the morphology behavior, structure and chemical composition. The maximum Eu(III) adsorption was shown at a pH = 6.0, with an adsorption (Langmuir) capacity of 540 mg g−1. We further elucidated the mechanism of interaction between Eu(III) and LF-MP, mainly through electrostatic attraction followed by the formation of coordination bonding. It has been demonstrated that the LF-MP can recover Eu(III) from a wide range of europium-containing waste materials.
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