Sustainable Metal-Organic Frameworks from Plastic Wastes Using Microwave Technique for Heavy Metal Decontamination

Abstract

Abstract Plastic waste is a significant environmental concern, with over 400 million tons generated per year, and less than 15% being recycled. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), derived benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid (BDC), is the most common plastic waste which can be used as organic linker for Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The sustainable approach with waste management to valuable product is demonstrated by utilizing waste materials, PET bottle, to MOFs product. Not only plastic waste but waste metals such as aluminum foil metal and steel wool also can be recycled using microwave technique. Microwave synthesis can enhance efficiency and sustainability, reducing reaction time in MOFs synthesis. The developed synthesis method by microwave technique is demonstrated to produce MOFs materials from PET plastic waste, steel wool (Fe), and Aluminum foil (Al). Moreover, it can be reduced the operating expense (OPEX) cost of MOFs materials for heavy metal removal in condensate. The results showed that Al-MOF and Fe-MOF were successfully synthesized and gave the good efficiency for arsenic removal in condensate. In addition, recycled-based MOFs have proposed some future trends and challenges of OPEX cost reduction which can be used as an alternative to the conventional porous material, metal oxides and zeolites.