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The aim of this study is to highlight novel CuS‐carrageenan nanocomposites grown from the interface between sulfide solutions (liquid phases) and Cu‐ι‐carrageenan gels. Several parameters including pH, copper and carrageenan concentration of the hydrogel that influence the growth of the nanocomposite have been examined. The most effective parameter is the initial pH of the liquid phase, hence, three growing samples at pH 7, 10 and 13 were selected for further studies and referred as LPH7, LPH10 and LPH13. Three CuS‐carrageenan nanocomposites obtained from the three pH conditions were purified and examined in detail using several characterization techniques such as X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The structure, composition, properties as well as the growth mechanism of the nanocomposite have been studied. Additionally, the electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite was exploited to be used as a sensor of relative humidity and temperature.

This study investigates the possibility of applying an adsorption process using two abundant natural minerals M1 and M2. Without pretreatment or activation, the adsorbents were used to treat real textile wastewater samples (collected from Fez city, Morocco). As a cost-effective alternative, these materials were characterized by different analyses, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) were used to characterize the textile wastewater. Additionally, the influence of operating conditions (contact time, adsorbent dosages, and pH) was evaluated. Results show that the adsorption process takes place quickly, reaching the equilibrium at 90 and 160 min for M1 (88% COD) and M2 (79% COD). Both materials show a higher affinity to Cr (39%) and lower affinity to Cu (28%). A pseudo-second-order kinetic model provides the best fit to the experimental adsorption data. Germination tests indicate a low toxicity after the adsorption process. Performance of both materials was compared with that of other literature studies.

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