Synthesis of PS/RB-Cs and its use in the treatment of water polluted with heavy metals

Abstract

Polystyrene waste are non-biodegradable materials that causes harm to the environment. Red brick waste resulting from demolition and reconstruction are an obstacle to its disposal. To solve this problem and meet modern sustainability standards, this study utilized polystyrene (PS) foam and red brick construction waste to prepare composite materials (PS/RB-Cs) as a new efficient adsorbent. The PS/RB-Cs composite as an adsorbent was characterized using a UV–Vis Spectrophotometer, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which showed a clear spectrum shift after using PS/RB-Cs as an adsorbent. The PS/RB-Cs was characterized by a porous structure with higher surface area and high stability. The efficiency of the PS/RB-Cs in treating water contaminated with heavy metals such as cobalt and nickel was verified under different initial concentrations, temperatures, doses, pH, and contact times. The experimental qe values were consistent with the qe calculated values and were approximately 8 mg/g. The adsorption isotherm models showed that the adsorption results fit the Langmuir, Freundlich and Flory-Huggins isotherm models and that the process was favorable. By applying pseudo-first-order (PFO) and pseudo-second-order (PSO) kinetic models, the adsorption process was found to follow PSO. The findings of this research validated that the composite material that was prepared serves as a potent adsorbent for the treatment of water that has been polluted by heavy metals.

Keywords

• Polystyrene waste
• Red brick waste
• Composite materials
• Adsorbent
• Heavy metals
• Water treatment