Easy separable, floatable, and recyclable magnetic-biochar/alginate bead as super-adsorbent for adsorbing copper ions in water media

Dhirar Ben Salem; Abdelkader Ouakouak; Fouzia Touahra; Noureddine Hamdi; Abdelazeem S Eltaweil; Asad Syed; Ramaraj Boopathy; Hai Nguyen Tran

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129225

Easy separable, floatable, and recyclable magnetic-biochar/alginate bead as super-adsorbent for adsorbing copper ions in water media

Bioresour Technol. 2023 Sep:383:129225. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129225. Epub 2023 May 25.

Authors

Dhirar Ben Salem¹, Abdelkader Ouakouak², Fouzia Touahra³, Noureddine Hamdi⁴, Abdelazeem S Eltaweil⁵, Asad Syed⁶, Ramaraj Boopathy⁷, Hai Nguyen Tran⁸

Affiliations

¹ Research Laboratory in Subterranean and Surface Hydraulics, University of Biskra, PO Box 145, Biskra 07000, Algeria.
² Hydraulic and Civil Engineering Department, University of El Oued, PO Box 789, El Oued 39000, Algeria.
³ Research Centre in Analytical Chemistry and Physics (CRAPC), BP 248, Algiers 16004, Algeria.
⁴ Higher Institute of Sciences and Techniques of Waters, University of Gabès, Zrig 6072, Tunisia; Composite Materials and Clay Minerals Laboratory, National Center for Research in Materials Sciences, Technopole Borj Cedria, Soliman, Tunisia.
⁵ Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
⁶ Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Department of Biological Sciences, Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, LA 70310, USA. Electronic address: ramaraj.boopathy@nicholls.edu.
⁸ Center for Energy and Environmental Materials, Institute of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, Duy Tan University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Viet Nam; Faculty of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Duy Tan University, Da Nang City 550000, Viet Nam.

PMID: 37244306
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129225

Abstract

This work aimed to develop innovative material by combining properties of magnetic-biochar (derived from peanut shells) and hydrogel bead (MBA-bead) and apply it for adsorbing Cu²⁺ in water. MBA-bead was synthesized by physical cross-linking methods. Results indicated that MBA-bead contained ∼90% water. The diameter of each spherical MBA-bead was approximately 3 mm (wet form) and 2 mm in (dried form). Its specific surface area (262.4 m²/g) and total pore volume (0.751 cm³/g) were obtained from nitrogen adsorption at 77 K. X-ray diffraction data confirmed Fe₃O₄ presented in magnetic-biochar and MBA-bead. Its Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity for Cu²⁺ was 234.1 mg/g (30 °C and pH_eq 5.0). The change in standard enthalpy (ΔH°) of the adsorption was 44.30 kJ/mol (dominant physical adsorption). Primary adsorption mechanisms were complexation, ion exchange, and Van der Waals force. Laden MBA-bead can be reused several cycles after desorbing with NaOH or HCl. The cost was estimated for producing PS-biochar (0.091 US$/kg), magnetic-biochar (0.303-0.892 US$/kg), and MBA-bead (1.369-3.865 US$/kg). MBA-bead can serve as an excellent adsorbent for removing Cu²⁺ ions from water.

Keywords: Adsorption mechanism; Cost estimation; Heavy metal; Hydrogel bead; Magnetic biochar; Water treatment.

MeSH terms

Adsorption
Alginates
Charcoal
Copper*
Ions
Kinetics
Magnetic Phenomena
Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical*

Substances

Copper
biochar
Alginates
Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Charcoal
Ions