Synthesis of Polymer-Based Magnetic Nanocomposite for Multi-Pollutants Removal from Water.

Fatimah Mohammed Alzahrani,Faouzi Ben Rebah,Khadijah Mohammedsaleh Katubi,Mohamed A Tahoon,Norah Salem Alsaiari,Abdelfattah Amari

doi:10.3390/polym13111742

Abstract

A magnetic polymer-based nanocomposite was fabricated by the modification of an Fe3O4/SiO2 magnetic composite with polypyrrole (PPy) via co-precipitation polymerization to form PPy/Fe3O4/SiO2 for the removal of Congo red dye (CR) and hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) ions from water. The nanocomposite was characterized using various techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), vibration sample magnetometer, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results confirm the successful fabrication of the nanocomposite in the size of nanometers. The effect of different conditions such as the contact time, adsorbent dosage, solution pH, and initial concentration on the adsorption process was investigated. The adsorption isotherm suggested monolayer adsorption of both contaminants over the PPy/Fe3O4/SiO2 nanocomposite following a Langmuir isotherm, with maximum adsorption of 361 and 298 mg.g−1 for CR dye and Cr(VI), respectively. Furthermore, the effect of water type on the adsorption process was examined, indicating the applicability of the PPy/Fe3O4/SiO2 nanocomposite for real sample treatment. Interestingly, the reusability of the nanocomposite for the removal of the studied contaminants was investigated with good results even after six successive cycles. All results make this nanocomposite a promising material for water treatment.

Highlights

Industrial wastewater treatment has become increasingly complex in recent decades as a result of the rapid industrialization and the presence of complex mixtures of toxic metal ions and organic dyes that harm human health and the environment [1,2,3]
In the second part of the paper, we report the application of the synthesized materials to the removal of Cr(VI) and Congo red dye with a discussion of the compositing process’s role in the improvement of the material removal efficiency
The synthesized materials were characterized using various techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), magnetometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurement

Summary

Introduction

Industrial wastewater treatment has become increasingly complex in recent decades as a result of the rapid industrialization and the presence of complex mixtures of toxic metal ions and organic dyes that harm human health and the environment [1,2,3]. The textile, paper, and plastic industries are the most common manufacturing purposes including dyes as important aromatic compounds [4] In addition to their carcinogenic effects, contaminated drinking water with dyes causes various symptoms including severe headaches, skin irritation, and acute diarrhea [5]. Metal ions are not less dangerous than organic dyes due to their high toxicity when discharged in water supplies [6]. One of these toxic metals, hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), is classified as a very toxic and carcinogenic metal, causing nephritis, gastrointestinal ulceration, and cancer in the digestive tract [7]. Several techniques have been applied for the removal of these harmful metallic ions and dyes from water and wastewater such as membrane filtration [9], photocatalytic reduction [10], biological treatment [11], precipitation [12], electrocoagulation [13], and adsorption [14,15]

Methods

Results

Conclusion