RESUMEN
Graphene/carbon nanotube (CNT)-based adsorbents were fabricated on a kilogram scale by extrusion processing (where graphene is used as the major adsorption material and CNTs make up the backbone to enhance the mechanical strength) and then mixed and bonded with poly(tetrafluoroethylene). Kilogram-scale adsorbents were used to treat the content of o-cresol in wastewater to be <1.12 mg/kg in a continuous and reversible adsorption-desorption apparatus, which could last for 99 h with a space velocity of 30 h-1 and a total wastewater capacity of 5 tons per day. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Raman spectroscopy all suggested that the surface properties and pore structure of the spent adsorbents remain unchanged after recycling at both low-temperature adsorption and high-temperature desorption in vacuum. These results provided an effective reversible adsorbent system for removing aromatic organics and prompted the scaled-up applications of carbon nanomaterials in the treatment of wastewater.
RESUMEN
The treatment of organic wastewater is of great significance. Carbon nanotube (CNT)/graphene-based nanomaterials have great potential as absorbent materials for organic wastewater treatment owing to their high specific surface area, mesoporous structure, tunable surface properties, and high chemical stability; these attributes allow them to endure harsh wastewater conditions, such as acidic, basic, and salty conditions at high concentrations or at high temperatures. Although a substantial amount of work has been reported on the performance of CNT/graphene-based nanomaterials in organic wastewater systems, engineering challenges still exist for their practical application. Herein, the adsorption mechanism of CNT- and graphene-based nanomaterials is summarized, including the adsorption mechanism of CNTs and graphene at the atomic and molecular levels, their hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface properties, and the structure-property relationship required for adsorption to occur. Second, the structural modification and recombination methods of CNT- and graphene-based adsorbents for various organic wastewater systems are introduced. Third, the engineering challenges, including the molding of macroscopically stable adsorbents, adsorption isotherm models and adsorption kinetic behaviors, and reversible adsorption performance compared to that of activated carbon (AC) are discussed. Finally, cost issues are discussed in light of scalable and practical application of these materials.
RESUMEN
Graphene is a hot star in materials science with various potential application aspects, including in Li-ion battery and supercapacitor. The burst of scientific papers in this area seems to validate the performance of graphene, but also arouses large dispute. Herein, we share our judgment of these trends to all, encouraging the discussion and enhancing the understanding of the structure-performance relationship of graphene.
RESUMEN
Developing nanostructured adsorbents of organics is crucial for environmental protection with low energy consumption, but care needs to be taken to prevent the loss of nanomaterials because of their small size. This paper reports the fabrication of carbon nanotube (CNT)-alumina strips (CASs) with a high surface area, sufficient mesopores and strongly interacted structure. Use of CASs allowed the rapid and reversible adsorption-desorption of para-xylene, when compared to pristine powders of CNT and activated carbon. Use of CASs is promising for the practical use when packed in a scaled adsorption tower.
