Abstract
Silk, a natural biopolymer possessing superior adsorbent properties, is excessively utilized in water remediation. This study illustrates degumming of silk fibroin using microwave radiations and batch adsorption of nickel ions from aqueous (aq.) solution. The removal of sericin from silk was confirmed through surface, functional group and thermal analysis. The water contact angle of degummed silk was observed to be 163°, exhibiting superhydrophobicity. The degummed silk fibroin demonstrated superior adsorption capacity of 27 mg/g in contrast with raw silk of 17 mg/g at constant adsorbent dose and contact time, and the former exhibited lowered adsorption time by 2 h compared to the latter.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
