Uranium removal from aqueous solution using macauba endocarp-derived biochar: Effect of physical activation.

The main aim of this study was to evaluate options for addressing two pressing challenges related to environmental quality and circular economy stemming from wastage or underutilization of abundant biomass residue resources and contamination of water by industrial effluents. In this study we focused on residues (endocarp) from Macaúba palm (Acrocomia aculeata) used for oil production, its conversion to activated biochar, and its potential use in uranium (U) removal from aqueous solutions. Batch adsorption experiments showed a much higher uranyl ions (U(VI)) removal efficiency of activated biochar compared to untreated biochar. As a result of activation, an increase in removal efficiency from 80.5% (untreated biochar) to 99.2% (after activation) was observed for a 5 mg L-1 initial U(VI) concentration solution adjusted to pH 3 using a 10 g L-1 adsorbent dosage. The BET surface area increased from 0.83 to 643 m2 g-1 with activation. Surface topography of the activated biochar showed a very characteristic morphology with high porosity. Activation significantly affected chemical surface of the biochar. FTIR analysis indicated that U(VI) was removed by physisorption from the aqueous solution. The adsorbed U(VI) was detected by micro X-ray fluorescence technique. Adsorption isotherms were employed to represent the results of the U adsorption onto the activated biochar. An estimation of the best fit was performed by calculating different deviation equations, also called error functions. The Redlich-Peterson isotherm model was the most appropriate for fitting the experimental data, suggesting heterogeneity of adsorption sites with different affinities for uranium setting up as a hybrid adsorption. These results demonstrated that physical activation significantly increases the adsorption capacity of macauba endocarp-derived biochar for uranium in aqueous solutions, and therefore open up a potential new application for this type of waste-derived biochar.

Fast, efficient and clean adsorption of bisphenol-A using renewable mesoporous silica nanoparticles from sugarcane waste ash.

Even with all the biological problems associated with bisphenol-A (BPA), this chemical is still being widely used, especially in thermal paper receipts. In this study, renewable mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN), obtained from sugarcane ash, functionalized with hexadecyltrimethylammonium (CTAB) were applied as an adsorbent in the removal of BPA from the aqueous solution. The versatility of this material and its BPA adsorption capacity were tested at different pH values, being practically constant at pH between 4 and 9, with a slight increase in pH 10 and a greater increase in pH 11. The removal time evaluation indicates a very fast adsorption process, removing almost 90% of BPA in the first 20 min of contact. The kinetic model indicates a monolayer formation of BPA molecules on the MSN-CTAB surface. The maximum adsorption capacity (Q max) was 155.78 mg g-1, one of the highest found in literature, and the highest for material from a renewable source.

Highly Pure Silica Nanoparticles with High Adsorption Capacity Obtained from Sugarcane Waste Ash.

Silica nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) from renewable sources can be used in very different materials, such as paints, membranes for fuel cells, Li-ion batteries, adsorbents, catalysts, and so on. Brazil is the world's largest producer of sugarcane and generates huge amounts of sugarcane waste ash (SWA), which is a Si-rich source. This study investigates a method to produce highly pure SiO2NPs from SWA. The SiO2NPs were characterized by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction analyses, specific surface area and pore distribution, UV and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analyses and applied as an adsorbent material in the removal of acid orange 8 (AO8) dye from aqueous solution. The SiO2 content was 88.68 and 99.08 wt % for SWA and SiO2NPs, respectively. TEM images of SWA and SiO2NPs exhibit drastic alterations of the material size ranging from several micrometers to less than 20 nm. The SiO2NPs showed a specific surface area of 131 m2 g-1 and adsorption capacity of around 230 mg g-1 for acid orange 8 dye. Furthermore, the recycling of the SiO2NPs adsorbent after AO8 adsorption was very satisfactory, with reuse for up to five cycles being possible. The results indicate that it was possible to obtain highly pure silica in a nanosize from the waste material and produce an adsorbent with high adsorption capacity and the possibility of reuse.

Development of a new adsorbent from agro-industrial waste and its potential use in endocrine disruptor compound removal.

A new activated carbon (AC) material was prepared by pyrolysis of a mixture of coffee grounds, eucalyptus sawdust, calcium hydroxide and soybean oil at 800°C. This material was used as adsorbent for the removal of the endocrine disruptor compounds 17ß-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) from aqueous solutions. The carbon material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), N2 adsorption/desorption curves and point of zero charge (pHPZC). Variables including the initial pH of the adsorbate solutions, adsorbent masses and contact time were optimized. The optimum range of initial pH for removal of endocrine disruptor compounds (EDC) was 2.0-11.0. The kinetics of adsorption were investigated using general order, pseudo first-order and pseudo-second order kinetic models. The Sips isotherm model gave the best fits of the equilibrium data (298K). The maximum amounts of E2 and EE2 removed at 298K were 7.584 (E2) and 7.883mgg(-1) (EE2) using the AC as adsorbent. The carbon adsorbent was employed in SPE (solid phase extraction) of E2 and EE2 from aqueous solutions.

Optimization of mono and diacylglycerols production from enzymatic glycerolysis in solvent-free systems.

This work reports solvent-free enzymatic glycerolysis of olive oil with an immobilized lipase (Novozym 435) using Tween 40, Tween 65, Tween 80, Tween 85, Triton X-100, and soy lecithin as surfactants. The first step was the screening of two potential surfactants for Monoacylglycerol (MAG) and Diacylglycerol (DAG) production with a pre-established operating condition and 2 h of reaction time. Afterwards, a sequential experimental design strategy was carried out in order to optimize MAG and DAG production using Tween 65 and Triton X-100 as surfactants. The operating conditions that optimized MAG and DAG yields were 70 degrees C, stirring rate of 600 rpm, glycerol:olive oil molar ratio of 6:1, 16 wt% of surfactant Tween 65 and 9.0 wt% of Novozym 435, leading to a content of 26 and 17 wt% of MAG and DAG, respectively.

Low-pressure lipase-catalyzed production of mono- and diglycerides with and without N-butane and AOT surfactant.

The aim of this work is to report the production of mono- and diglycerides from olive oil at ambient condition and in pressurized n-butane as solvent medium. For this purpose, a commercial immobilized lipase (Novozym 435) was employed as catalyst and sodium (bis-2-ethyl-hexyl) sulfosuccinate (Aerosol-OT or AOT) as surfactant. The experiments were conducted in batch mode varying the temperature, pressure, and AOT concentration. Results showed that lipase-catalyzed glycerolysis either with compressed n-butane or in solvent-free system with AOT as surfactant might be a potential alternative route to conventional methods, as high contents of reaction products, especially monoglycerides ( approximately 60 wt.%), were achieved at mild temperature and pressure with a relatively low solvent to substrates mass ratio (4:1) in short reaction times (2 h).