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Application of Carbon Fibers in Adsorption

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical and Molecular Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2023) | Viewed by 10113

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Dr. Ntaote David Shooto

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Applied Chemistry and Nano Science Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Chemistry, Vaal University of Technology, P.O. Box X021, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
Interests: adsorption; nanofibers; nanotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Fanyana M. Mtunzi

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Guest Editor

Institute of Chemical and Biotechnology (ICBT) Center, Vaal University of Technology, Vanderbijlpark 1900, South Africa
Interests: adsorption and medicinal chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Carbon fibers are around 5 to 10 micrometers in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. Carbon fibers have numerous advantages in application: high strength to weight ratio, high chemical resistance, high-temperature tolerance, and low thermal expansion. These properties have made carbon fiber very popular in water treatment. To produce carbon fibers, the carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the fiber’s long axis, as the crystal alignment gives the fiber a high strength-to-volume ratio. Carbon fibers are usually combined with other materials in developing novel composites. Carbon fibers provide a novel approach to address water treatment issues. This Special Issue aims to highlight the recent research in carbon fiber composites used in wastewater treatment. Contributions to this Special Issue, which may be in the form of original research papers or review articles, may cover any aspect of the production, characterization, and laboratory- or field-scale applications of carbon fiber composites used in wastewater treatment.

Dr. Ntaote David Shooto
Prof. Dr. Fanyana M. Mtunzi
Guest Editors

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Keywords

adsorption
carbon fibers
dyes
toxic metal ions
organic pollutants

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 6768 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Sorbents Based on Polyacrylonitrile Fiber and Transition Metal Ferrocyanides for ¹³⁷Cs Recovery from Various Composition Solutions

by Iuliia G. Shibetskaia, Victoria A. Razina, Nikolay A. Bezhin, Eduard A. Tokar’, Vitaly V. Milyutin, Natalya A. Nekrasova, Victoria S. Yankovskaya and Ivan G. Tananaev

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(2), 627; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14020627 - 11 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1101

Abstract

For the first time, new sorbents based on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber and transition metal ferrocyanides were obtained. The main difference between the obtained sorbents and the existing ones is the stage of preliminary preparation of the initial support by converting it into the forms PAN-Fe(OH)₃ or PAN-MnO₂, due to which additional ion exchange groups (carboxyl, carbonyl, etc.) are formed, which increases the amount of ferrocyanide fixed to the support. The best components and conditions for the synthesis of new sorbents were determined (concentration (0.1–0.2 mol/L), as well as pH (1 for sorbents based on PAN-Fe(OH)₃, and 1–5—PAN-MnO₂) of potassium ferrocyanide solution, concentration of transition metal salts (0.02 mol/L), temperature conditions). The influence of the studied solution composition (pH, concentration of Na⁺, K⁺, NH₄⁺ ions) on the cesium distribution coefficients during its recovery by the obtained sorbents was assessed. The possibility of cesium recovery from solutions with pH 1–9 containing macro quantities of cations was demonstrated. The sorbents derived were characterized by modern structural methods such as infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy with EDS analysis. A study of the trace amount sorption of ¹³⁷Cs was carried out in comparison with commercially available highly efficient sorbents (FNS-10 and Termoksid-35), and it was shown that the resulting sorbents are not inferior to industrial ferrocyanide sorbents and can be used for ¹³⁷Cs selective sorption from technological solutions and natural waters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Carbon Fibers in Adsorption)

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17 pages, 5565 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sorption Capacity of Carbon-Based Mandarin Orange Peels for Removing Methylene Blue and Ibuprofen from Water

by Patience Mapule Thabede

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(18), 10511; https://doi.org/10.3390/app131810511 - 21 Sep 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1443

Abstract

Pharmaceutical pollutants in water pose a serious environmental challenge. This research compared the adsorption capacity of mandarin orange peels (MOP) and activated carbon mandarin orange peels (AC-MOP) to adsorb methylene blue (MB) and Ibuprofen (IBF) from an aqueous solution. This is the first study to report on the uptake of Ibuprofen using carbonized mandarin orange peels activated with hydrochloric acid. The biomaterials were characterized using FTIR and SEM. Batch experiments with operational parameters such as pH, contact time, concentration and temperature were investigated for the adsorption of MB and IBF. Isotherms, kinetic calculations and thermodynamic parameters were calculated for the adsorption of MB and IBF. A positive ΔH° suggested the reaction was endothermic, and ΔG° values showed that the sorption process was spontaneous. The isotherm models best fit the Langmuir model with maximum sorption capacities of 74.15 and 78.15 mg/g for MB and IBF, respectively. The adsorption rate for MB was fast and took place within the first 10 min, whilst the removal of IBF was observed at 40 min. The kinetic model evaluation showed that pseudo-second-order was a suitable fit for the mechanism. The re-usability data indicated that the recovery of MB was 70.13%, and IBF was 87.17%. The adsorption capacity of IBF with the carbon-based MOP was higher than that of MB. The results indicated that AC-MOP could be used as an adsorbent for MB and IBF from water. The major advantage of this method is its effectiveness in reducing the concentration of dyes and pharmaceutical pollutants using inexpensive adsorbents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Carbon Fibers in Adsorption)

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29 pages, 5920 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adsorption of Hexavalent Chromium Ions Using Pine Sawdust Cellulose Fibres

by Nozipho Nompumelelo Mzinyane, Kevin Masixole Mnqiwu and Khomotso Monoka Moukangoe

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(17), 9798; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13179798 - 30 Aug 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1265

Abstract

In developing countries, agriculture generates not only income but also waste. Therefore, it is essential to recycle this waste for different purposes. This study explored an affordable way to modify pine sawdust to treat chromium-containing wastewater, with successful outcomes. The biosorbent’s surface area was enhanced through pretreatment steps, including NaOH treatment, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis for cellulose fibre extraction. SEM–EDS, TEM, and XRD were used to study the chemical composition and morphology. XRD measurements also revealed a rise in the sizes of crystallites. FTIR results revealed shifts in bands (-OH), (-C-H), and (-COOH), suggesting their involvement in Cr (VI) ion adsorption. TGA/DTA indicated enhanced thermal stability for cellulose extracted from pine sawdust compared to untreated pine sawdust. The adsorption parameters for Cr (VI) ions were investigated through mass, pH, stirring time, and temperature studies. The optimal Cr (VI) adsorption conditions were 2.0 g mass, pH 6, 90 min stirring, 100 mg/L concentration, and 313 K temperature. The adsorption of Cr (VI) ions was best-fit to the Langmuir isotherm model (R² = 0.9991, k_L = 0.09). Pseudo-second-order kinetics (R² = 0.9999) provided the best description for Cr (VI) biosorption on cellulose fibres (CF). The analysis results confirmed the isotherm and kinetics models. The negative thermodynamic parameters (ΔG° and ΔH°) indicated that the uptake of Cr (VI) ions on the adsorbent was exothermic and spontaneous. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Carbon Fibers in Adsorption)

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25 pages, 5648 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Surface Modification of Tea-Waste-Based Biochar Adsorbent: Synthesis, Characterization, and Batch Adsorption for the Removal of Zidovudine ARV Drug and Phenol

by Tumelo Nortica Mashoene, Anny Leudjo Taka, Samson O. Akpotu, Isiaka A. Lawal and Michael John Klink

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(13), 7493; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13137493 - 25 Jun 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2017

Abstract

Domestic, agricultural, and industrial waste has been investigated as a substitute for activated carbon adsorbents. For instance, the transformation of tea waste to biochar can be utilized as a substitute for activated carbon adsorbents. In this study, tea waste-based biochar adsorbents (biochar, biochar/reduced graphene oxide (biochar/rGO), biochar/reduced graphene oxide/deep eutectic solvent-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (biochar/rGO/DES-CTAB), and biochar/reduced graphene oxide/deep eutectic solvent-glycerol (biochar/rGO/DES-glycerol)) were synthesized by simple thermal treatment of tea waste and sucrose followed by modification with reduced graphene oxide and deep eutectic solvents. The obtained materials were characterized using a range of spectroscopy techniques, Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy–Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) surface area analysis, and pH at point of zero charge (pH _PZC). The obtained results showed that the principal material, i.e., biochar was modified, and FTIR results confirmed the presence of added functional groups. SEM images revealed surface structural changes, and BET showed a decrease in pore size from 10.16 nm to 6.87 nm. The synthesized materials were applied for the removal of ZDV and phenol from the aqueous medium. Batch adsorption studies were conducted to optimize operating parameters such as the adsorbent dose, solution pH, contact time, and initial concentration. Pseudo-first-order (PFO), Pseudo-second-order (PSO), and intraparticle diffusion (IPD) kinetic models were determined to investigate the mechanism of the adsorption process. The coefficient of correlation, R², was used to determine the best fit of the kinetic models. The adsorption results showed that the DES-glycerol-modified adsorbent was more efficient in removing the pollutants ZDV and phenol than biochar, biochar/rGO, and biochar/rGO/DES-CTAB adsorbents. In addition, the results showed that an acidic medium of pH 2.00 and a contact time of 1 h 30 min and 30 min is sufficient for removing ZDV and phenol, respectively, from an aqueous medium. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Carbon Fibers in Adsorption)

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17 pages, 4978 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sorption Behaviour of Ibuprofen Using Activated Carbon Derived from Rose Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L.) Leaves

by Patience Mapule Thabede, Fanyana Mtunzi and Pardon Nyamukamba

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(8), 5133; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13085133 - 20 Apr 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1949

Abstract

This research assessed the adsorption of a pharmaceutical compound, ibuprofen, using rose geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L.) leaves to prepare low-cost activated carbon through orthophosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) activation. The activated carbon from rose geranium leaves (AC-RGL) was characterized by TGA, SEM and FTIR. The results were compared with those from natural rose geranium leaves (Raw-RGL). The influence of chemical parameters for the uptake of ibuprofen on both adsorbents was evaluated through adsorption experiments. The results were subjected to adsorption models, kinetics models and thermodynamic studies to determine the distribution of ibuprofen in the solid and liquid phases. The results for both Raw-RGL and AC-RGL best fitted the Freundlich model, and the kinetic studies were shown to be pseudo-first order. The thermodynamic evaluation suggested exothermic and spontaneous process sorption for ibuprofen on both adsorbents. The maximum sorption capacities for AC-RGL and Raw-RGL were 113.76 and 74.12 mg/g, respectively. This work confirms that low-cost rose geranium leaves can be used as a potential adsorbent for the sorption of ibuprofen in solution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Carbon Fibers in Adsorption)

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15 pages, 6958 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improved Adsorption and Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange by Onion-like Nanocarbon/TiO₂ Nanocomposites

by Themba D. Ntuli, Ludwe L. Sikeyi, Faria Dziike, Neil J. Coville, Edward N. Nxumalo and Manoko S. Maubane-Nkadimeng

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(8), 5125; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13085125 - 20 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1541

Abstract

Waste cooking oil, a known environmental pollutant, has been used as a precursor for the synthesis of onion-like nanocarbons (OLNCs) using flame pyrolysis. The OLNCs were added to TiO₂ to form TiO₂/OLNC nanocomposites through hydrothermal treatment. The TiO₂/OLNCs ratio was varied by increasing the mass of the OLNCs (10, 20, 30, and 50 mg), while the mass of TiO₂ (100 mg) was kept constant at C to TiO₂ molar ratios of 1:2, 1:4, 1:6, and 1:10, respectively. The surface area of the photocatalysts increased with an increase in the mass of OLNCs. The nanocomposites were applied in the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange. The photocatalysts showed a degradation efficiency trend of TC-10 > (99.9%) TC-20 > (90%) TC-30 > (81%) TC-50 > (70%) TiO₂ (44%) in 120 min. A similar trend was observed from the first-order kinetic rate data. The degradation efficiency of methyl orange was improved by adding 5% H₂O₂ (99.9%) in 30 min. The OLNCs were responsible for increased photocatalytic activity due to a high adsorption efficiency compared to pure TiO₂. The OLNCs acted as an electron acceptor, while the TiO₂ acted as an electron donor. The enhanced catalytic behavior was achieved by hindering the recombination of e⁻/h⁺ in the composite and increasing the adsorption capability of TiO₂. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Carbon Fibers in Adsorption)

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