Removal of benzene from water using aluminum oxide impregnated carbon nanotubes enhanced

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017044025-A1
Application number	US-201514823696-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 11, 2015
Priority date	Aug 11, 2015
Publication date	Feb 16, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for removing benzene from water, by mixing aluminum oxide nanoparticle-impregnated multi-walled carbon nanotubes with a solution containing water and benzene to obtain a suspension containing the aluminum oxide nanoparticle-impregnated multi-walled carbon nanotubes, the water and the benzene, and then applying ultraviolet light to the suspension and stirring the suspension to remove at least a portion of the benzene from water.

First claim

1 : A method for removing benzene from water, comprising:
(i) mixing aluminum oxide nanoparticle-impregnated multi-walled carbon nanotubes with a solution comprising water and benzene to obtain a suspension comprising the aluminum oxide nanoparticle-impregnated multi-walled carbon nanotubes, the water and the benzene; and then (iii) applying ultraviolet light to the suspension and stirring the suspension to remove at least a portion of the benzene from water.

2 : The method of claim 1 , further comprising impregnating the multi-walled carbon nanotubes with aluminum oxide nanoparticles, which comprises:
(a) dissolving multi-walled carbon nanotubes in an organic solvent, followed by sonication; (b) dissolving aluminum nitrate salt in an organic solvent; (c) mixing the products of (a) and (b) to obtain a mixture; (d) sonicating the mixture; (e) drying the sonicated mixture; and (f) calcinating the dried mixture.

3 : The method of claim 2 , wherein the organic solvent in (a) and (b) are each ethanol.

4 : The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum oxide nanoparticles have a particle size ranging from 1 to 15 nm.

5 : The method of claim 1 , wherein an amount of the aluminum oxide nanopailicles-impregnated multi-walled carbon nanotubes to the water solution comprising benzene ranges from 0.2 to 1 g/L.

6 : The method of claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet light has a wavelength ranging from 350 to 400 nm and a power ranging from 15 to 35 W.

7 : The method of claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet light has a wavelength of about 365 nm and a power of about 20 W.

8 : The method of claim 1 , wherein the benzene is not converted to other organic compounds.

9 : The method of claim 1 , wherein a treatment time of the applying of the ultraviolet light to the suspension is from 1 to 3 hours.

10 : The method of claim 9 , wherein the treatment time is about 3 hours.

11 : The method of claim 9 , wherein a percentage of benzene removed after a treatment time of 1 hour is greater than 45%.

12 : The method of claim 9 , wherein a percentage of benzene removed after a treatment time of 2 hours is greater than 85%.

13 : The method of claim 9 , wherein a percentage of benzene removed after a treatment time of 3 hours is greater than 95%.

14 : The method of claim 1 , wherein a weight percent of the aluminum oxide nanoparticles relative to the total weight of the aluminum oxide nanoparticles-impregnated multi-walled carbon nanotubes ranges from 1 to 20 weight %.

15 : The method of claim 1 , wherein a total content of the benzene left in the suspension after treatment with ultraviolet light is less than 5 ppm.

Assignees

• Univ King Fahd Pet & Minerals

Inventors

• Abussaud Basim Ahmed
• Abbas Aamir
• Atieh Muataz Ali

Classifications

• C02F1/288 Primary

  using composite sorbents, e.g. coated, impregnated, multi-layered · CPC title

• C02F1/32

  with ultraviolet light · CPC title

• B01J20/205

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

• C02F1/281

  using inorganic sorbents · CPC title

• C02F2101/322

  Volatile compounds, e.g. benzene · CPC title