Hybrid catalysts based on waste electrical and electronic equipment supported on bentonite for the removal of contaminants compounds in liquid phase

Abstract

Abstract This work describes the synthesis of hybrid materials based on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), a complex mixture of materials and components with hazardous content that can cause major environmental and health problems. The materials were obtained by physical impregnation of the WEEE in bentonite clay at different concentrations (10, 15, and 20 wt%), calcined at 350 °C for 3 h. To develop lipophilic properties in these materials, they were hydrophobized with CTAB surfactant, thus forming hybrid materials, which were analyzed by elementary analyses (AA), TG, FT-IR, XRD, and Angle of Contact. Subsequently, the obtained hybrid materials were employed for oxidation reactions of organic contaminants. The characterizations showed that the hybrid materials acquired an amphiphilic character and the WEEE was immobilized into bentonite. Oxidation test of nitrogen compounds (oil contaminants) resulted in the removal of up to 73.5 mg g−1 of quinoline, and textile dyes removal, using methylene blue and indigo carmine, resulted in the removal up to 38% and 84%, respectively. Toxicity tests performed in Lactuca sativa have shown that WEEE is toxic and cannot be used directly, but the hybrid materials have no toxicity and can be used in real systems.