Efficient iron oxide/expanded graphite nanocomposites prepared by underwater plasma discharge for removing heavy metals

Autor: Ji-In Park, Yongcheol Hong, Yujin Jang, Myung-Gyu Ha, Ha-Rim An, Byoungchul Son, Yunju Choi, Hyeran Kim, Yesul Jeong, Hyun Uk Lee
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Materials Research and Technology, Vol 14, Iss , Pp 1884-1892 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2238-7854
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2021.07.068
Popis: Recent studies have shown that expanded graphite (EG) is a suitable substrate for combining iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs). However, the low density and insignificant hydrophobicity of pristine EG hinder its applicability in wastewater treatment systems. Herein, iron oxide (IO)-combined EG nanocomposites (IO/EGs) were prepared using an underwater plasma discharge process, which is a fast and simple method for synthesizing composites. The IO/EGs produced by this method are complex combinations of the FeOOH and γ–Fe2O3 phases, whose compositions vary as the IO precursor content changes between 20 and 60 wt.%. Compared with pristine EG, the IO/EGs with varying IO precursor contents (IOx/EGs) exhibited approximately six times higher surface areas (>100 m2/g), nearly double zeta potential values (>39 mV), and excellent heavy-metal removal efficiencies. The excellent heavy-metal removal efficiencies (>80% within 10 min, [k] = 2.30 h−1, qe;≥ 125 mg/g) of IO20/EGs are attributed to their high specific surface areas (117.5 m2/g), relatively positive surface potentials (41.76 mV), and abundant reactive active sites (hydroxyl group). Overall, this study demonstrates that the simple and fast combined IOx/EGs are suitable adsorbents for removing heavy metals from polluted solutions.
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