Method for the adsorptive removal of para-xylene and toluene from waste water using modified carbon nanotubes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10076741-B2
Application number	US-201514963777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2015
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

The removal of cyclic hydrocarbons from water sources and systems using an active adsorptive nanocomposite comprising multi-walled carbon nanotubes impregnated with metal oxide nanoparticles on the surface of and/or within the carbon nanotubes. A process for producing the active adsorptive nanocomposite is also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for removing a cyclic hydrocarbon from a first aqueous solution comprising para-xylene, toluene, or both, the method comprising:
contacting an active adsorptive nanocomposite with the first aqueous solution to adsorb at least a portion of the para-xylene, toluene, or both onto at least one surface of the active adsorptive nanocomposite; and
removing the active adsorptive nanocomposite with adsorbed para-xylene, toluene, or both from the first aqueous solution to form a treated aqueous solution that has a lower para-xylene and/or toluene content than the first aqueous solution;
wherein the active adsorptive nanocomposite comprises
carbon nanotubes, and
one or more metal oxide nanoparticles selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, zinc oxide, and iron oxide attached to a surface of the carbon nanotubes, wherein the metal oxide nanoparticles are present in 1-15% by weight, relative to the total weight of the active adsorptive nanocomposite.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contacting comprises mechanically mixing and/or sonicating the active adsorptive nanocomposite with the first aqueous solution.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the active adsorptive nanocomposite is mechanically mixed with the first aqueous solution with a mechanical mixing speed of at least 200 rpm.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the active adsorptive nanocomposite is contacted with the first aqueous solution at a weight per volume ratio of at least 25-150 mg of the active adsorptive nanocomposite per 100 mL of the first aqueous solution.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contacting is carried out for 30 min to 720 min.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the active adsorptive nanocomposite is contacted with the first aqueous solution a temperature range of 20° C. to 30° C.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first aqueous solution comprises at least 100 ppm of para-xylene and/or toluene.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide nanoparticles are zinc oxide and the contacting removes at least 77% of the para-xylene from the first aqueous solution.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide nanoparticles are iron oxide and the contacting removes at least 68% of para-xylene from the first aqueous solution.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide nanoparticles are aluminum oxide and the contacting removes at least 75% of para-xylene from the first aqueous solution.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first aqueous solution comprises toluene, the metal oxide nanoparticles are zinc oxide and the contacting removes at least 11% of the toluene from the first aqueous solution.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first aqueous solution comprises toluene, the metal oxide nanoparticles are iron oxide and the contacting removes at least 17% of the toluene from the first aqueous solution.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide nanoparticles are aluminum oxide and the contacting removes at least 17% of the toluene from the first aqueous solution.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first aqueous solution has a pH range from 5-7.

Assignees

• Univ King Fahd Pet & Minerals

Inventors

• Abbas Aamir
• Abussaud Basim Ahmed

Classifications

• C02F2101/322

  Volatile compounds, e.g. benzene · CPC title

• C02F2305/08

  Nanoparticles or nanotubes · CPC title

• B01J20/205 Primary

  Carbon nanostructures, e.g. nanotubes, nanohorns, nanocones, nanoballs (carbon nanotubes per se C01B32/15) · CPC title

• C02F1/281

  using inorganic sorbents · CPC title

• C02F2101/36

  containing halogen · CPC title