Modified Composite Based on Magnetite and Polyvinyl Alcohol: Synthesis, Characterization, and Degradation Studies of the Methyl Orange Dye from Synthetic Wastewater

Cristina Modrogan; Simona Cǎprǎrescu; Annette Madelene Dǎncilǎ; Oanamari Daniela Orbuleț; Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu; Violeta Purcar; Valentin Radițoiu; Radu Claudiu Fierascu

doi:10.3390/polym13223911

Modified Composite Based on Magnetite and Polyvinyl Alcohol: Synthesis, Characterization, and Degradation Studies of the Methyl Orange Dye from Synthetic Wastewater

Polymers (Basel). 2021 Nov 12;13(22):3911. doi: 10.3390/polym13223911.

Authors

Cristina Modrogan¹, Simona Cǎprǎrescu², Annette Madelene Dǎncilǎ¹, Oanamari Daniela Orbuleț¹, Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu^{3

4

5}, Violeta Purcar⁶, Valentin Radițoiu⁶, Radu Claudiu Fierascu^{3

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Analytical Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Ghe. Polizu Street No 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania.
² Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry Department, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Ghe. Polizu Street No 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania.
³ Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Ghe. Polizu Street No 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania.
⁴ Research Institute of the University of Bucharest-ICUB, University of Bucharest, 050657 Bucharest, Romania.
⁵ Academy of Romanian Scientists, Ilfov No. 3, 50044 Bucharest, Romania.
⁶ National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry-ICECHIM, Splaiul Independentei, No. 202, 060021 Bucharest, Romania.

Abstract

The goal of the present paper was to synthesize, characterize, and evaluate the performance of the modified composite based on magnetite (Fe₃O₄) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The obtained composite was used to degrade Methyl Orange dye from synthetic wastewater by a laboratory photocatalytic reactor. Various parameters of the photodegradation process were tested: composite dosage, amount of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), and pH. The composite was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The degradation experiments indicated that the complete dye decolorization depended on the amount of H₂O₂. In addition, the H₂O₂ could accelerate Methyl Orange degradation to more highly oxidized intermediates in the presence of UV light (99.35%). The results suggested that the obtained modified composite could be used to treat wastewater containing various types of dyes.

Keywords: degradation; magnetite; methyl orange; modified composite; polyvinyl alcohol; wastewater.

Abstract

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