Superhydrophobic magnetic sorbent via surface modification of banded iron formation for oily water treatment

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 11016
• Main Authors: Farahat, Mohsen, Sobhy, Ahmed, Sanad, Moustafa M. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 30.06.2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/166/898; 704/172; Acetic acid; Butyl acetate; Contact angle; Cyclohexane; Fabrication; Fourier analysis; Fourier transforms; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hydrophobic surfaces; Hydrophobicity; Iron; Kerosene; Magnetic susceptibility; multidisciplinary; Oily water; Photoelectron spectroscopy; Scanning electron microscopy; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Spectrum analysis; Water purification; Water treatment; X-ray diffraction; X-ray spectroscopy
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15187-6

In the current study, a simple dry coating method was utilized to fabricate a super-hydrophobic super-magnetic powder (ZS@BIF) for oily water purification using zinc stearate (ZS) and banded iron formation (BIF). The produced composite was fully characterized as a magnetic sorbent for oily water treatment. The results of X-ray diffraction diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and particle size analysis revealed the fabrication of homogenous hydrophobic-magnetic composite particles with core–shell structure. Contact angle and magnetic susceptibility results showed that 4 (BIF): 1 (Zs) was the ideal coverage ratio to render the core material superhydrophobic and preserve its ferromagnetic nature. The capability of the fabricated composite to sorb. n -butyl acetate, kerosene, and cyclohexane from oil–water system was evaluated. ZS@BIF composite showed a higher affinity to adsorb cyclohexane than n-butyl acetate and kerosene with a maximum adsorption capacity of about 22 g g −1 and 99.9% removal efficiency. Moreover, about 95% of the adsorbed oils could be successfully recovered (desorbed) by rotary evaporator and the regenerated ZS@BIF composite showed high recyclability over ten repeated cycles.