Browsing by Author "Tavengwa, Bunhu"

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    Adsorption of Methyl Orange, Pb2þ and Cd2þ from Aqueous Solution by Composites of LignocelluloseMontmorillonite Modified with Methacryloxypropyl Trimethoxysilane
    (WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA,, 2012-03-07) Tavengwa, Bunhu; Lilian, Tichagwa
    A composite material based on lignocellulose and montmorillonite clay (MPSgLig-NaMMT) was prepared and evaluated as an adsorbent for the removal of pollutants (dyes and heavy metals) from aqueous solution. The lignocellulosemontmorillonite composite was prepared by in situ intercalative polymerisation, using methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane (MPS) as a coupling agent. The composite material was characterised by FTIR, TGA and SAXS. The lignocellulose-montmorillonite composite was assessed as an adsorbent for methyl orange dye from aqueous solution. The composite material showed enhanced adsorption of methyl orange (MetO) compared with the NaMMT or lignocellulose separately. Competitive adsorption studies were carried out from binary mixtures of MetO with Cd2þ or Pb2þ in aqueous solution. The adsorption process of MetO onto the composite material was found to follow the Freundlich adsorption model. The adsorption of methyl orange from binary mixtures, were found to follow both the pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order models
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    Competitive sorption of Cd2+ and Pb2+ from a binary aqueous solution by poly (methyl methacrylate)-grafted montmorillonite clay nanocomposite
    (Applied Water Science, 2016-03-24) Tavengwa, Bunhu; Tichagwa, Lilian; Chaukura, Nhamo
    Poly(methyl methacrylate)-grafted montmorillonite (PMMAgMMT) clay and sodium-exchanged montmorillonite (NaMMT) clay were prepared through in situ graft polymerisation and used to remove Cd2+ and Pb2+ from synthetic wastewater. The modification of adsorbent materials was confirmed by fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) techniques. BET surface area measurements showed NaMMT had a higher surface area than PMMAgMMT. Batch experiments were used to assess the simultaneous uptake of Cd2+ and Pb2+ from a synthetic binary solution. Pb2+ was preferentially sorbed, exhibiting greater affinity for the sorbents compared to Cd2+ as shown by its relatively higher uptake onto the sorbents than Cd2+. The maximum sorption capacities for NaMMT and PMMAgMMT were 18.73 and 19.27 mg/g for Cd2+, and 30.03 and 34.25 mg/g for Pb2+, respectively. The sorption data obeyed the Langmuir model and the pseudo-second order kinetic model with R 2 of at least 0.9800 for both models. The sorbents could also be regenerated up to three cycles without a significant loss in the sorption capacity. FTIR measurements showed the presence of metal–oxygen bonds after sorption, confirming the occurrence of adsorption as one of the heavy metal removal processes. The work demonstrated the potential of using low-cost nanoscale composite material for the removal of Cd2+ and Pb2+ from aqueous solution.