Reactive dye degradation using Fe3+ modified membranes obtained from cigarette filters

Abstract

The use of solid waste as a support material for catalysts used in heterogeneous photo-Fenton processes is promising. Hence, the process becomes environmentally sustainable and can be applied as a new alternative for wastewater treatment. In this study, a membrane was synthesized for the first time using cigarette filters with Fe3+ ions immobilized modified membranes of the cigarette filters (MMCF-Fe). The principal purpose was to evaluate the photocatalytic capacity of the MMCF-Fe as a catalyst in the heterogeneous photo- Fenton processes for the degradation of Reactive Black 5 (RB-5, tetrasodium;4-amino-5-hydroxy-3,6-bis[[4-(2 sulfonatooxyethylsulfonyl)phenyl] diazenyl]naphthalene-2,7-disulfonate) dye at neutral pH. The AAS, UV–Vis-DRS, SEM-EDS, and FTIR techniques were utilized to characterize the material. The experimental conditions for the photo-Fenton process were optimized by a 23 factorial design. The best conditions for these studies were pH 7.0, 40 mg L−1 of H2O2 concentration, and 5 % Fe3+ (w/w) amount, enabling 72.7 ± 0.5 % degradation of the Reactive Black 5 dye in 60 min. The results of the photo-Fenton process showed that under optimal conditions, intermediate compounds were removed, such as aromatic amines and phenol. These studies showed that the membrane with immobilized Fe is promising for application in the degradation of textile dyes and is environmentally sustainable, providing the use of a solid residue to produce films.