Nano-silica from white silica sand functionalized with PANI-SDS (SiO2/PANI-SDS) as an adsorbent for the elimination of methylene blue from aqueous media

Natural resources including sand are one of the best approaches for treating dye-polluted wastewater. The SiO2/PANI-SDS nanocomposite was synthesized by self-assembly and intermolecular interaction. The physicochemical features of the SiO2/PANI-SDS nanocomposite were explored by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, and N2 adsorption-desorption techniques to be evaluated as an adsorbent for the MB. The surface area of the SiO2/PANI-SDS is 23.317 m2/g, the pore size is 0.036 cm3/g, and the pore radius is 1.91 nm. Batch kinetic studies at different initial adsorbate, adsorbent and NaCl concentrations, and temperatures showed excellent pseudo-second-order. Several isotherm models were applied to evaluate the MB adsorption on the SiO2/PANI-SDS nanocomposite. According to R2 values the isotherm models were fitted in the following order: Langmuir > Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) > Freundlich. The adsorption/desorption process showed good reusability of the SiO2/PANI-SDS nanocomposite.

Selective removal of ammonia from wastewater using Cu(II)-loaded Amberlite IR-120 resin and its catalytic application for removal of dyes

Cationic ligand exchange is one of the most predominant mechanisms for the removal of ammonia from wastewater through complex formation. The complexation technique occurs between the metal ions loaded on the surface of Amberlite IR-120 and ammonia which is present in the medium. Cu(II)-loaded Amberlite IR-120 (R-Cu2+) was prepared and described using FT-IR, TGA, SEM, and EDX techniques. The prepared R-Cu2+ was applied for the elimination of ammonia from an aqueous solution. Different cations such as Co2+ and Ni2+ were loaded onto Amberlite IR-120 to study the impact of counter cation on the removal efficiency of ammonia. The ammonia removal percentage followed the order; R-Cu2+  > R-Ni2+  > R-Co2+. The effects of contact time, pH, initial concentration, temperature, and coexisting ions on the removal of ammonia from wastewater by R-Cu2+ were investigated. The equilibrium adsorbed amount of ammonia was found to be 200 mg/g at pH = 8.6 and 303 K within 60 min using 0.1 g R-Cu2+ and an initial concentration of ammonia of 1060 mg/L. The removal of ammonia using R-Cu2+ obeyed the non-linear plot of both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. According to the thermodynamic parameters, the adsorption of ammonia onto R-Cu2+ was an endothermic and spontaneous process. The time-adsorption data followed the pseudo-second-order and intraparticle diffusion models. Moreover, the resulting product (R-Cu(II)-amine composite) from the adsorption process exhibited high catalytic activity and could be low-cost material for the elimination of dyes such as aniline blue (AB), methyl green (MG), and methyl violet 2B (MV2B) from wastewater.

Petrology and geochemistry of multiphase post-granitic dikes: A case study from the Gabal Serbal area, Southwestern Sinai, Egypt

Variable single and/or swarms of post-granitic dikes are widespread at Gabal Serbal, Southwestern Sinai, Egypt. The present article aims to identify and discriminate these multiphase dikes through detailed geological, petrographical, and geochemical examinations. These dikes are classified into two subphases: (1) acidic dikes (porphyritic dacite, microgranite, granophyre, and alkaline granophyre dikes); and (2) basic dikes (basalt and dolerite dikes). They range from vertical or steeply inclined bodies, 0.5–15 m wide, pink to black color, and NE–SW to N–S directions. Acidic dikes with different mineralogical constituents have medium to high k-characters, originating from calc-alkaline magma and extruded in a volcanic arc environment. In contrast, basic dikes have medium k-characters, originating from tholeiitic magma and developing within a plate environment. Basic dikes are enriched with opaque minerals, where the basaltic dike contains iron oxides (magnetite and hematite), such as apatite in addition to copper minerals. Dolerite dike comprises magnetite, titanomagnetite, and pyrite.

Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic oxidation of some azo dyes using copper(II) ions

The kinetics of the homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic oxidation processes of three azo dyes in presence of copper (II) - ions, copper (II) - ions - supported on alumina and on zinc oxide as well as copper ammonia complex supported on alumina were investigated in aqueous solutions. The dyes are Chromotrope 2B (C2B), Chromotrope 2R (C2R) and Chrysophenen (CRY). The reaction progress was followed by monitoring the decrease in absorbance at ℷmax 512, 511 and 401 nm, respectively. The rate of reaction increased with increasing either the concentration of the dye or the catalyst, giving a plateau at high concentrations of the catalyst. On the other hand, the rate of reaction increased gradually with increasing hydrogen peroxide concentration attaining a maximum then decreased thereafter. The reaction rate was also increased with increasing pH and temperature and was found to be entropy controlled. This work could be applied for dye baths water reuse to reduce costs in textile and dyeing factories as will as for environmental purposes.

Effect of simultaneous proprioceptive-visual feedback on gait of children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of simultaneous proprioceptive - visual training on gait parameters in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.

METHOD

Gait parameters of 30 spastic diplegic children (age range 4-6 years) were evaluated before and after treatment by Tekscan's Walkway Pressure system. They were randomly and equally assigned into two groups (study and control). All children received regular therapeutic exercise program for one hour. In control group walked for 30 minutes without feedback, while those in study group walked for 30 minutes with proprioceptive-visual feedback. Duration of treatment was 3 times/week for 8 successive weeks.

RESULTS

There were significant differences after treatment in spatial parameters and temporal parameters of both groups with more improvement in study group than control one, and insignificant difference in kinetic gait parameters.

CONCLUSION

The simultaneous proprioceptive - visual training might improve spatial and temporal gait parameters with no effect on kinetic gait parameters of children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.

Application of montmorillonite-Cu(II)ethylenediamine catalyst for the decolorization of Chromotrope 2R with H₂O₂ in aqueous solution

The kinetics of decolorization of Chromotrope 2R (C2R) was studied spectrophotometrically using the montmorilloniteK10-Cu(II)ethylenediamine composite (MMTK10-Cu(en)2) as catalyst and H2O2 as oxidant in aqueous solution. The catalyst was prepared and characterized by SEM, FTIR, XRD and TGA techniques. The dependence of reaction rate on H2O2 concentration was examined under UV irradiation in the presence and absence of the catalyst, and in the presence of the catalyst without the UV irradiation. In all these reaction systems, the rate increased up to a maximum value and then decreased. The rate increased with increasing the concentration of the dye reaching a maximum. Also, the rate of decolorization reaction showed a significant increase with increasing the amount of the catalyst and temperature. The addition of NaCl to the reaction medium has accelerated the rate effectively. A similar catalyst, MMTKSF-Cu(en)2, has also been employed and was found to be less efficient compared with MMTK10-Cu(en)2.

Activation of H2O2 by Amberlyst-15 resin supported with copper(II)-complexes towards oxidation of crystal violet

Copper(II) amine complexes supported on Amberlyst-15 cation resin were prepared and characterized by SEM, EDX and FTIR measurements. The kinetics of the heterogeneous oxidation of an organic dye, crystal violet, with H2O2 catalyzed by the supported catalysts was investigated in aqueous solution. The rate of reaction increases with increasing stability of the copper(II) amine complexes. The oxidation rate attained a first-order in the catalyst and the dye only at lower concentrations and second order in H2O2. A very fast formation of a peroxo-dye intermediate resulting from the interaction of H2O2 with the dye even in the presence of the catalyst was observed.

Kinetics and mechanism of color removal of methylene blue with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by some supported alumina surfaces

The catalyzed kinetics of the oxidative mineralization of the cationic dye methylene blue, phenothiazonium, 3,7-bis(dimethylamino)-chloride, with hydrogen peroxide were studied both in buffered and unbuffered solutions. The supported alumina catalysts used were in the form of copper(II), cobalt(II), manganese(II), and nickel(II)-ions. Also, some copper(II)-complexes were used, e.g. copper(II)-ammine ([Cu(amm)4]2+), copper(II)-ethylenediamine ([Cu(en)2]2+) and copper(II)-monoethanolamine ([Cu(mea)2]2+). The reaction is first order with respect to methylene blue. On the other hand, the order with respect to hydrogen peroxide is concentration range dependent. This range depends strongly on the catalyst used. At lower [H2O2], the order was 1 which then decreases with increasing [H2O2] passing through 0 at the maximum rate and finally becomes negative. This phenomenon is parallel to the formation of a colored intermediate on the surface of the catalyst. This suggests that the intermediate has an inhibiting effect on the rate of color removal. Moreover, the rate of the reaction was found to be strongly dependent on the pH of the solution and its ionic strength. It increases with increasing both pH and the concentration of added potassium chloride. Also, the rate of reaction is inhibited in presence of sodium dodecylsulfate anionic surfactant. The repeated use of the different catalysts showed that their catalytic activities are almost unaffected. A reaction mechanism was proposed with the formation of free radicals as reactive intermediates.