A facile method for dye and heavy metal elimination by pH sensitive acid activated montmorillonite/polyethersulfone nanocomposite membrane

Effective removal of anionic dyes from aqueous solution using polyethersulfone based membrane reinforced by montmorillonite

The study highlights the development and characterization of a novel polymeric membrane composed of montmorillonite (MMT) and polyethersulfone (PES) using the phase inversion process. The membrane incorporates polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a pore-forming agent and N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent. The addition of MMT significantly enhances the membrane's properties, including hydrophilicity, porosity, antifouling capacity, hydraulic resistance, water uptake, and dye removal efficiency. Characterization techniques such as FT-IR spectroscopy, FE-SEM, EDX spectroscopy, water flux measurements, water uptake analysis, contact angle studies, and fouling assessments confirm the improved performance of the PES/MMT composite membrane. The presence of MMT increases the negative surface charge of the membrane, making it particularly effective in removing anionic dyes like Congo red (CR), Quinoline yellow (QY), and Methyl orange (MO). The study demonstrates that membranes with up to 5 wt% MMT exhibit high porosity (68.2%) and enhanced water flux (35 L/m2·h), achieving dye rejection rates of 99% for CR, 92% for MO, and 81% for QY. The integration of MMT into PES membranes presents a significant advancement in sustainable water purification technologies. These modified membranes demonstrate enhanced mechanical strength, improved structural stability, and an increased surface area, making them highly effective for dye adsorption. Compared to traditional materials, PES/MMT membranes exhibit superior performance in wastewater treatment and dye removal, offering a promising and eco-friendly alternative for addressing environmental challenges.

Review of Clay-Based Nanocomposites as Adsorbents for the Removal of Heavy Metals

Due to rapid industrialization, urbanization, and surge in modern human activities, water contamination is a major threat to humanity globally. Contaminants ranging from organic compounds, dyes, to inorganic heavy metals have been of major concern in recent years. This necessitates the development of affordable water remediation technologies to improve water quality. There is a growing interest in nanotechnology recently because of its application in eco-friendly, cost-effective, and durable material production. This study presents a review of recent nanocomposite technologies based on clay, applied in the removal of heavy metals from wastewater, and highlights the shortcomings of existing methods. Recently published reports, articles, and papers on clay-based nanocomposites for the removal of heavy metals have been reviewed. Currently, the most common methods utilized in the removal of heavy metals are reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, ion exchange, and activated carbon. These methods, however, suffer major shortcomings such as inefficiency when trace amounts of contaminant are involved, uneconomical costs of operation and maintenance, and production of contaminated sludge. The abundance of clay on the Earth’s surface and the ease of modification to improve adsorption capabilities have made it a viable candidate for the synthesis of nanocomposites. Organoclay nanocomposites such as polyacrylamide-bentonite, polyaniline-montmorillonite, and β-cyclodextrin-bentonite have been synthesized for the selective removal of various heavy metals such as Cu2+, Co2+, among others. Bacterial clay nanocomposites such as E. coli kaolinite nanocomposites have also been successfully synthesized and applied in the removal of heavy metals. Low-cost nanocomposites of clay using biopolymers like chitosan and cellulose are especially in demand due to the cumulative abundance of these materials in the environment. A comparative analysis of different synthetic processes to efficiently remove heavy metal contaminants with clay-based nanocomposite adsorbents is made.

Combination of Self-Healing Butyl Rubber and Natural Rubber Composites for Improving the Stability

The self-healing composites were prepared from the combination of bromobutyl rubber (BIIR) and natural rubber (NR) blends filled with carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon black (CB). To reach the optimized self-healing propagation, the BIIR was modified with ionic liquid (IL) and butylimidazole (IM), and blended with NR using the ratios of 70:30 and 80:20 BIIR:NR. Physical and chemical modifications were confirmed from the mixing torque and attenuated total reflection-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). It was found that the BIIR/NR-CNT_CB with IL and IM effectively improved the cure properties with enhanced tensile properties relative to pure BIIR/NR blends. For the healed composites, BIIR/NR-CNT_CB-IM exhibited superior mechanical and electrical properties due to the existing ionic linkages in rubber matrix. For the abrasion resistances, puncture stress and electrical recyclability were examined to know the possibility of inner liner applications and Taber abrasion with dynamic mechanical properties were elucidated for tire tread applications. Based on the obtained T_g and Tan δ values, the composites are proposed for tire applications in the future with a simplified preparation procedure.

Effect of LDHs and Other Clays on Polymer Composite in Adsorptive Removal of Contaminants: A Review

Recently, the development of a unique class of layered silicate nanomaterials has attracted considerable interest for treatment of wastewater. Clean water is an essential commodity for healthier life, agriculture and a safe environment at large. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and other clay hybrids are emerging as potential nanostructured adsorbents for water purification. These LDH hybrids are referred to as hydrotalcite-based materials or anionic clays and promising multifunctional two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials. They are used in many applications including photocatalysis, energy storage, nanocomposites, adsorption, diffusion and water purification. The adsorption and diffusion capacities of various toxic contaminants heavy metal ions and dyes on different unmodified and modified LDH-samples are discussed comparatively with other types of nanoclays acting as adsorbents. This review focuses on the preparation methods, comparison of adsorption and diffusion capacities of LDH-hybrids and other nanoclay materials for the treatment of various contaminants such as heavy metal ions and dyes.