Reusable nanomaterial and plant biomass composites for the removal of Methylene Blue from water

Abstract

A novel composite has been prepared from nanomaterials and powdered orange peel. The composite is adhered to a plastic strip and may be employed for the removal of synthetic dyes from aqueous solutions, for example from dyehouse effluents. Using Methylene Blue (CI Basic Blue 9) as the reference dye, the characteristics of the adsorbent have been studied. The effect of pH, type of nanomaterial (e.g. carbon nanotubes, activated carbon nanotubes, or titanium dioxide nanoparticles), contact time, and reusability have each been investigated. The results show that the adsorption capacity of suspended orange peel powder, an orange peel strip, and an activated carbon nanotube/orange peel strip were 46%, 67% and 78%, respectively. The uptake of dye was greatly affected by the pH of the solution, maximum absorption being obtained at pH 10, and none at all at pH 2. The improved performance was probably the result of the increased area available for adsorption compared with orange peel powder alone. The system was found to be reusable for up to six cycles without appreciable loss of adsorption and desorption efficiency. The nanomaterial in the composite enhanced performance, not only by increasing adsorption efficiency but also by inhibiting biodegradation of the orange peel powder, thereby increasing the life of the strips. The system offers an economical, user-friendly, efficient and reusable adsorption treatment for the removal of dyes from wastewater.

Rapid Adsorption of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solutions by Goethite Nanoadsorbents

“…The values of K L and Q m obtained in our study are higher than those reported in the literature on the adsorption of MB onto metal oxide surface or low-cost adsorbents ( . Jain et al, 2010;Fangwen et al, 2009;Ofomaja, 2007;Mak and Chen, 2004;Dogan et al, 2004). It is possible that this because of the high surface area, good dispersion ability, and intrinsic reactivity of goethite nanoparticles.…”

Utilization of Renewable Biomass and Waste Materials for Production of Environmentally-Friendly, Bio-based Composites

“…In this case, biomass, especially when porous or sponge-like, can be used as the ideal environment for the development of fungal mass, in view of the removal also of chlorinated compounds (Iqbal et al, 2005). Other possibilities are in absorbing dyes, such as Crystal Violet using peanut hulls (Tahir et al, 2017) and methylene blue using orange peel strips (Jain et al, 2010) from water.…”

Textbook of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

“…• En el artículo "Compuestos de biomasa vegetal y nanomateriales reutilizables para la eliminación del azul de metileno del agua" 27 , se analizó varios materiales compuestos por nanopartículas y cáscara de naranja en polvo. Se utilizo para remover colorantes sintéticos de soluciones.…”