Presented work concerns the application of synthetic oxide adsorbent in the removal of cadmium ions from its model, water solutions. In this study, a novel magnesium–silicon (Mg–Si) binary oxide adsorbent was prepared by a modified co-precipitation method, utilizing sodium silicate and magnesium sulphate solutions as precursors of silica and magnesium oxide, respectively. The material was thoroughly characterized in order to evaluate chemical composition (AAS, EDS and gravimetric method), crystalline structure (XRD), morphology (SEM), particle size distribution (DLS), characteristic functional groups (FTIR) and porous structure parameters (BET and BJH models). It was proved that the adsorbent is amorphous, with a micrometric-sized, irregular-shaped particles and relatively large surface area of 540 m2/g. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to investigate the adsorption of Cd(II) ions on the prepared adsorbent, including evaluation of adsorption kinetics, the intraparticle diffusion model, the effect of pH, contact time, mass of the adsorbent, temperature and the effect of competitive Cl− and NO3 − anions. During the study, it was confirmed that the adsorption of Cd(II) ions reached equilibrium within 30 min, which was found to fit well with a pseudo-second-order kinetic model type 1 (r 2 = 0.998–0.999). The Mg–Si adsorbent exhibited high adsorption capacity for Cd(II) ions at pH above 7, and the maximum quantity of cadmium(II) ions adsorbed in optimal time was achieved for the highest metal ion concentrations: 18.22 (Cl−) and 15.46 (NO3 −) mg/g. The competitive anions present in the model cadmium salt solutions hindered adsorption in the sequence Cl−>NO3 −.
In this paper, native cellulose I was subjected to alkaline treatment. As a result, cellulose I was transformed to cellulose II and some nanometric particles were formed. Both polymorphic forms of cellulose were modified with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and then used as fillers for polyurethane. Composites were prepared in a one-step process. Cellulosic fillers were characterized in terms of their chemical (Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy) and supermolecular structure (X-ray diffraction), as well as their particle size. Investigation of composite polyurethane included measurements of density, characteristic processing times of foam formation, compression strength, dimensional stability, water absorption, and thermal conductivity. Much focus was put on the application aspect of the produced insulation polyurethane foams. It was shown that modification of cellulosic filler with poly(ethylene glycol) has a positive influence on formation of polyurethane composites-if modified filler was used, the values of compression strength and density increased, while water sorption and thermal conductivity decreased. Moreover, it was proven that the introduction of cellulosic fillers into the polyurethane matrix does not deteriorate the strength or thermal properties of the foams, and that composites with such fillers have good application potential.
Currently, the fundamental activity that will allow for the development of an economy with closed circulation is the management of food waste and production waste for the preparation of biocomposites. The use of waste materials of natural origin allows for the creation of innovative composites with improved physicochemical and functional properties. The present investigation concerns the use of coffee grounds (2.5-20 wt.%) and oak sawdust (2.5-20 wt.%) as effective fillers of rigid polyurethane foam. Innovative composite materials, previously indebted in the literature, were subjected to the necessary analyses to determine the application abilities: processing times, free density, water absorption, dimensional stability, mechanical properties (compressive strength), thermal conductivity, morphology, and flame resistance. The results with respect to the mechanical tests turned out to be the key. Increasing the number of coffee additives has a positive effect on the compressive strength. The addition of this filler in the range of 5-15 wt.% increased the compressive strength of the composites, 136-139 kPa, compared to the reference sample, 127 kPa. The key parameter analysed was thermal conductivity. The results obtained were in range of the requirements, that is, 0.022-0.024 W/m·K for all used amounts of fillers 2.5-20 wt.%. This is extremely important since these materials are used for insulation purposes. The results of the burning-behaviour test have confirmed that the addition of renewable materials does not negatively affect the fire resistance of the received foams; the results were obtained analogously to those obtained from the reference sample without the addition of fillers. The height of the flame did not exceed 17 cm, while the flame decay time was 17 s for the reference sample and the composite with coffee grounds and 18 s for the composite with oak sawdust. In this work, the practical application of bioorganic waste as an innovative filler for the insulation of flooded polyurethane foam is described for the first time. The introduction of fillers of natural origin into the polymer matrix is a promising method to improve the physicochemical and functional properties of rigid polyurethane foams. Composites modified with coffee grounds and sawdust are interesting from a technological, ecological, and economic point of view, significantly increasing the range of use of foam in various industries.
Bio-based waste materials are more often used as effective and cheap adsorbents to remove toxic organic compounds such dyes. Batch adsorption of C.I. Basic Blue 3 (BB3) onto Cladium mariscus saw-sedge was studied in comparison with sawdust obtained from various species of wood in order to explore their potential application as low-cost sorbents for basic dye removal from wastewaters. The effect of phase contact time (1–240 min), initial dye concentration (50–200 mg/L), and the auxiliaries presence (10–60 g/L NaCl and 0.1–0.75 g/L anionic surfactant) on BB3 uptake was investigated. The adsorption kinetic data followed the pseudo-second order equation rather than pseudo-first order one. The equilibrium adsorption data were analyzed using the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Tempkin isotherm models. The monolayer sorption capacities decreased from 44.29 to 42.07 mg/g for Cladium mariscus saw-sedge and from 28.69 to 27.5 mg/g for sawdust with temperature increasing from 20 to 50 °C. The thermodynamic parameters such as the change in free energy (∆G°), enthalpy (∆H°), and entropy (∆S°) were calculated, too.
Abstract The research reported here concerns the synthesis, characterization and potential applications of silica/lignosulfonate hybrid materials. Three types of silica were used (Aerosil®200, Syloid®244 and hydrated silica), along with magnesium lignosulfonate. The effectiveness of the hybrid material synthesis methodology was confirmed indirectly, using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental and colorimetric analysis. Dispersive-morphological analysis indicates that the products with the best properties were obtained using 10 parts by weight of magnesium lignosulfonate per 100 parts of Syloid®244 silica. The relatively high thermal stability recorded for the majority of the synthesized products indicates the potential use of this kind of a material as a polymer filler. Results indicating the high electrokinetic stability of the materials are also of great importance. Additionally, the very good porous structure properties indicate the potential use of silica/lignosulfonate systems as biosorbents of hazardous metal ions and harmful organic compounds.
A novel chitin-ethylene glycol hybrid gel was prepared as a hydrogel electrolyte for electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [Bmim][Ac] as a chitin solvent. Examination of the morphology and topography of the chitin-EG membrane showed a homogeneous and smooth surface, while the thickness of the membrane obtained was 27 µm. The electrochemical performance of the chitin-EG hydrogel electrolyte was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements. The specific capacitance value of the EDLC with chitin-EG hydrogel electrolyte was found to be 109 F g-1 in a potential range from 0 to 0.8 V. The tested hydrogel material was electrochemically stable and did not decompose even after 10,000 GCD cycles. Additionally, the EDLC test cell with chitin-EG hydrogel as electrolyte exhibited superior capacitance retention after 10,000 charge/discharge cycles compared with a commercial glass fiber membrane.