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Advances in Adsorbent Materials for Contaminant Removal from Wastewaters

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2023) | Viewed by 10785

Special Issue Editor

Department of Chemical Engineering Materials Environment, Sapienza-University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Roma, Italy
Interests: adsorption; re-use of agricultural wastes; nanomaterials; cement-based materials; polymer-based materials; wastewater treatment; advanced oxidation processes; bio-based polymers; materials for water remediation; carbon based materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water is considered one of the essential natural resources on earth. Pollutants such as persistent organic substances, dyes, micropollutants and heavy metals are considered to be the most dangerous water contaminants, having a detrimental effect  on the aquatic ecosystem and human health.

Among the different techniques adopted for wastewater treatment, adsorption can be considered one of the most used technologies due to its low cost and high removal efficiency. The choice of i) an adequate adsorbent material in terms of type of material (natural or synthetic) and adsorption capacity and ii) the implementation of an economic and easily scalable process for the production / modification of the adsorbent represent the fundamental requirements for large-scale applications.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to collect research articles dedicated to the study and the optimization of the adsorption process for the removal of contaminants from wastewater. In particular, all the topics dealing with the characterization of materials (such as SEM, X-ray diffraction, FT-IR, BET), the study of the adsorption mechanism both from an experimental and theoretical point of view are welcomed.

Dr. Irene Bavasso
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • adsorption
  • adsorbent
  • natural adsorbent
  • waste adsorbent
  • synthetic adsorbent
  • activated carbon
  • composite adsorbent
  • biochar
  • nanomaterials
  • wastewater treatment

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 5006 KiB  
Article
The Adsorption of CTC onto CFBs: A Study on Fabrication of Magnetic Cellulose/Fe3O4 Beads (CFBs) and Adsorption Kinetics
by Jing Wang, Ke Shan, Yanhua Tang, Na Wu and Nan Li
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1189; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma16031189 - 30 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1189
Abstract
Magnetic cellulose/Fe3O4 beads (CFBs) were fabricated by dispersing Fe3O4 particles in a microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) matrix. The CFBs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis and [...] Read more.
Magnetic cellulose/Fe3O4 beads (CFBs) were fabricated by dispersing Fe3O4 particles in a microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) matrix. The CFBs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The adsorption behaviors of CFBs were studied by chlortetracycline hydrochloride (CTC) adsorption experiments. By means of adsorption kinetics and isotherms, the adsorption mechanisms were explored. The results show that quasi-spherical CFBs with a BET surface area as high as 119.63 m2/g were successfully tailored, with the high saturation magnetization (Ms > 40 emu/g) guaranteeing the magnetic separation of CFBs from wastewater. The process of adsorbing CTC onto CFBs involves monolayer chemical adsorption, and the maximum adsorption capacity for CTC estimated by the Langmuir model is 89.53 mg/g. The CFB product shows better adsorption performance in acidic solution than in basic solution. Full article
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19 pages, 5330 KiB  
Article
Experimental Design, Equilibrium Modeling and Kinetic Studies on the Adsorption of Methylene Blue by Adsorbent: Activated Carbon from Durian Shell Waste
by Quoc Toan Tran, Tra Huong Đo, Xuan Linh Ha, Thi Tu Anh Duong, Manh Nhuong Chu, Van Nhuong Vu, Hung Dung Chau, Thi Kim Ngan Tran and Phomthavongsy Song
Materials 2022, 15(23), 8566; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15238566 - 01 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1838
Abstract
For the first time, activated carbon from a durian shell (ACDS) activated by H2SO4 was successfully synthesized in the present study. The fabricated ACDS has a porous surface with a specific surface area of 348.0017 m2·g−1, [...] Read more.
For the first time, activated carbon from a durian shell (ACDS) activated by H2SO4 was successfully synthesized in the present study. The fabricated ACDS has a porous surface with a specific surface area of 348.0017 m2·g−1, average capillary volume of 0.153518 cm3·g−1, the average pore diameter of 4.3800 nm; ash level of 55.63%; humidity of 4.74%; density of 0.83 g·cm−3; an iodine index of 634 mg·g−1; and an isoelectric point of 6.03. Several factors affecting Methylene Blue (MB) adsorption capacity of ACDS activated carbon was investigated by the static adsorption method, revealing that the adsorption equilibrium was achieved after 90 min. The best adsorbent pH for MB is 7 and the mass/volume ratio is equal to 2.5 g·L−1. The MB adsorption process of ACDS activated carbon follows the Langmuir, Freundlich, Tempkin, and Elovich isotherm adsorption model, which has determined the maximum adsorption capacity for MB of ACDS as qmax = 57.47 mg·g−1. The MB adsorption process of ACDS follows the of pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetic equation. The Weber and Morris Internal Diffusion Model, the Hameed and Daud External Diffusion Model of liquids have been studied to see if the surface phase plays any role in the adsorption process. The results of thermodynamic calculation of the adsorption process show that the adsorption process is dominated by chemical adsorption and endothermic. The obtained results provide an insight for potential applications of ACDS in the treatment of water contaminated by dyes. Full article
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29 pages, 3758 KiB  
Article
Physical-Chemical Characterization of Different Carbon-Based Sorbents for Environmental Applications
by Simone Marzeddu, María Alejandra Décima, Luca Camilli, Maria Paola Bracciale, Virgilio Genova, Laura Paglia, Francesco Marra, Martina Damizia, Marco Stoller, Agostina Chiavola and Maria Rosaria Boni
Materials 2022, 15(20), 7162; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15207162 - 14 Oct 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2247
Abstract
Biochar has been used in various applications, e.g., as a soil conditioner and in remediation of contaminated water, wastewater, and gaseous emissions. In the latter application, biochar was shown to be a suitable alternative to activated carbon, providing high treatment efficiency. Since biochar [...] Read more.
Biochar has been used in various applications, e.g., as a soil conditioner and in remediation of contaminated water, wastewater, and gaseous emissions. In the latter application, biochar was shown to be a suitable alternative to activated carbon, providing high treatment efficiency. Since biochar is a by-product of waste pyrolysis, its use allows for compliance with circular economics. Thus, this research aims to obtain a detailed characterization of three carbonaceous materials: an activated carbon (CARBOSORB NC 1240®) and two biochars (RE-CHAR® and AMBIOTON®). In particular, the objective of this work is to compare the properties of three carbonaceous materials to evaluate whether the application of the two biochars is the same as that of activated carbon. The characterization included, among others, particle size distribution, elemental analysis, pH, scanning electron microscope, pore volume, specific surface area, and ionic exchange capacity. The results showed that CARBOSORB NC 1240® presented a higher specific surface (1126.64 m2/g) than AMBIOTON® (256.23 m2/g) and RE-CHAR® (280.25 m2/g). Both biochar and activated carbon belong to the category of mesoporous media, showing a pore size between 2 and 50 nm (20–500 Å). Moreover, the chemical composition analysis shows similar C, H, and N composition in the three carbonaceous materials while a higher O composition in RE-CHAR® (9.9%) than in CARBOSORB NC 1240 ® (2.67%) and AMBIOTON® (1.10%). Differences in physical and chemical properties are determined by the feedstock and pyrolysis or gasification temperature. The results obtained allowed to compare the selected materials among each other and with other carbonaceous adsorbents. Full article
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17 pages, 2544 KiB  
Article
Effect of Water–Ethanol Extraction as Pre-Treatment on the Adsorption Properties of Aloe vera Waste
by Leone Mazzeo, Irene Bavasso, Melissa Spallieri, Maria Paola Bracciale, Vincenzo Piemonte and Luca Di Palma
Materials 2022, 15(16), 5566; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15165566 - 13 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1054
Abstract
The adsorption properties of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) for the uptake of Methylene Blue (MB) from water were investigated after pre-treating the material with water–ethanol solutions at different ethanol concentrations: 0% v/v (AV0), 25% v/v (AV25), [...] Read more.
The adsorption properties of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) for the uptake of Methylene Blue (MB) from water were investigated after pre-treating the material with water–ethanol solutions at different ethanol concentrations: 0% v/v (AV0), 25% v/v (AV25), and 50% v/v (AV50). The pre-treated materials were characterized as follows: the pHZC was evaluated to be 6, 5.7, and 7.2 for AV0, AV25, and AV50, respectively; from BET-BJH analysis the mesoporous nature of the material and an increase from 108.2 (AV0) to 331.7 (AV50) m2/kg of its solid surface area was observed; TG analysis revealed a significat increase in volatile compounds from the untreated (5.4%) to the treated materials (8.9%, 10.3%, and 11.3% for AV0, AV25, and AV50, respectively). Adsorption batch tests were then performed to investigate the equilibrium, the kinetics, and the thermodynamics of the process. Results suggested that the Langmuir model was in agreement with the experimental results, and values for qmax of 199 mg/g, 311 mg/g, and 346 mg/g were calculated for AV0, AV25, and AV50, respectively. The kinetic results were used to develop a mathematical model to estimate the effective diffusion coefficient for each type of Aloe adopted. Effective diffusion coefficients of 5.43·10−7 cm2/min, 3.89·10−7 cm2/min, and 5.78·10−7 cm2/min were calculated for AV0, AV25, and AV50, respectively. It was found that pre-treatment, on the one hand, enhances the adsorption capacity of the material and on the other, reduces its affinity toward MB uptake. Full article
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26 pages, 4871 KiB  
Article
The Using of Nanoparticles of Microalgae in Remediation of Toxic Dye from Industrial Wastewater: Kinetic and Isotherm Studies
by Abdallah Tageldein Mansour, Ahmed E. Alprol, Khamael M. Abualnaja, Hossam S. El-Beltagi, Khaled M. A. Ramadan and Mohamed Ashour
Materials 2022, 15(11), 3922; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15113922 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 2451
Abstract
Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to study the removal of the toxic Methylene Blue Dye (MBD) from synthetic aqueous solutions using the nanoparticles form of Arthrospira platensis NIOF17/003. The adsorption capacity of the adsorbent for MBD was investigated using different amounts of [...] Read more.
Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to study the removal of the toxic Methylene Blue Dye (MBD) from synthetic aqueous solutions using the nanoparticles form of Arthrospira platensis NIOF17/003. The adsorption capacity of the adsorbent for MBD was investigated using different amounts of A. platensis nanoparticles at different contact times, temperatures, pH, and MBD initial concentrations in the synthetic aqueous solution. In addition, A. platensis nanoparticles were characterized using Electron Microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and Ultraviolet spectra (UV) techniques. The optimum removal of MBD was found at a concentration of 0.4 g A. platensis nanoparticles. A. platensis nanoparticles remove 93% of MBD in 5 min (under agitation conditions at 150 rpm). The highest adsorption capacity was found by the Langmuir model to be 58.8 mg g−1. It is an endothermic process with spontaneity increasing with temperature. The probable mechanism for the adsorption is chemisorption via surface-active charges in the initial phase, which is followed by physical sorption by occupying pores of A. platensis. MBD adsorption by A. platensis follows pseudo-second-order kinetics. The Freundlich and Langmuir models fit well with the experimental data. The adsorption experiments suggested that the regeneration of the adsorbents was possible for repeated use, especially regarding MBD up to 65.8% after three cycles, which proves it can be easily recycled. In conclusion, the nanoparticles of A. platensis have a significant adsorption potential in the removal of MBD from effluent wastewater. Full article
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21 pages, 3686 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of the Properties of Absodan Plus Sorbent and Its Ability to Remove Phosphates and Chromates from Aqueous Solutions
by Eleonora Sočo, Andżelika Domoń, Dorota Papciak, Magdalena M. Michel, Bogumił Cieniek and Dariusz Pająk
Materials 2022, 15(10), 3540; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15103540 - 15 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1285
Abstract
The aim of the research was to characterize the parameters of the diatomite sorbent Absodan Plus as well as to assess its suitability for the adsorption of chromates and phosphates from acidic aqueous solutions simulating the conditions occurring in some types of industrial [...] Read more.
The aim of the research was to characterize the parameters of the diatomite sorbent Absodan Plus as well as to assess its suitability for the adsorption of chromates and phosphates from acidic aqueous solutions simulating the conditions occurring in some types of industrial wastewater. The scope of the research includes XRD, SEM, BET, and PZC analyses, and 3D observation of commercial diatomite granules and batch tests to determine the constants of kinetics and the equilibrium of chromates and phosphates adsorption. Absodan Plus is a diatomite commercial material containing an amorphous phase (33%) and is also the crystalline phase of quartz, hematite, and grossite. The material is macro- and mesoporous and its specific surface area is about 30 m2/g. Its PZC is around pH = 5.5–6.0 and in an acidic environment is able to adsorb the anions. The saturation of the adsorbent surface with molecules of the adsorbed substance occurs after 2 h for chromates and 2.5 h for phosphates. The maximum adsorption capacity of Absodan Plus in terms of phosphorus and chromium amounts to 9.46 mg P/g and 39.1 mg Cr/g, respectively. As shown by XRD analysis, Absodan Plus contains an admixture of hematite, which can support the removal of chromium and phosphorus. Full article
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