Hematite nanopowder obtained from waste: Iron-removal sludge

Removal of Pb(II), Cr(III), Co(II), Cu(II) cations from aqueous solutions using tetraethylenepentamine-functionalized HY cubic zeolite: optimization, characterization, and mechanistic insights

This research utilized tetraethylenepentamine-functionalized HY cubic zeolite as an adsorbent to effectively remove heavy metals from aqueous solutions. The adsorbent was characterized using FT-IR, XRD, TGA, FE-SEM, and EDS-MAP techniques. The synthesis aimed to optimize and evaluate the removal efficiency of Pb(II), Cr(III), Co(II), and Cu(II) from aqueous solutions by investigating key parameters, including initial pH, concentration, adsorbent dosage, and contact time. The results indicate that the highest adsorption capacities for each metal follow the order: Pb(II) > Cr(III) > Co(II) > Cu(II), with respective percentages of 99.7%, 98.2%, 95.1%, and 92.4%. Analysis of the batch systems reveals that the equilibrium data for Pb(II), Cr(III), Co(II), and Cu(II) align well with the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms also show a good fit, with correlation coefficients (R2) higher than 0.9335 and 0.9478, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacities (181.82, 175.44, 169.49, and 158.73 mg/g) reflect the nature of the adsorption process. Kinetic studies for Pb(II), Cr(III), Cu(II), and Cu(II) yielded correlation coefficients (R2) higher than 0.9971. These high R2 values suggest that the experimental data closely fit a pseudo-second-order model, indicating a two-step adsorption mechanism. Heavy metal removal is attributed to ion exchange and chemisorption within the zeolite pores, involving interactions with nitrogen lone pairs.

Assessment of the Suitability of Ceramic Waste in Geopolymer Composites: An Appraisal

Currently, novel inorganic alumino-silicate materials, known as geopolymer composites, have emerged swiftly as an ecobenevolent alternative to contemporary ordinary Portland cement (OPC) building materials since they display superior physical and chemical attributes with a diverse range of possible potential applications. The said innovative geopolymer technology necessitates less energy and low carbon footprints as compared to OPC-based materials because of the incorporation of wastes and/or industrial byproducts as binders replacing OPC. The key constituents of ceramic are silica and alumina and, hence, have the potential to be employed as an aggregate to manufacture ceramic geopolymer concrete. The present manuscript presents a review of the performance of geopolymer composites incorporated with ceramic waste, concerning workability, strength, durability, and elevated resistance evaluation.

Complex permittivity and power loss characteristics of α-Fe2O3/polycaprolactone (PCL) nanocomposites: effect of recycled α-Fe2O3 nanofiller

The development of microwave absorbing materials based on recycled hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) nanoparticles and polycaprolactone (PCL) was the main focus of this study. α-Fe₂O₃ was recycled from mill scale and reduced to nanoparticles through high energy ball milling in order to improve its complex permittivity properties. Different compositions (5% wt., 10% wt., 15% wt. and 20% wt.) of the recycled α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles were melt-blended with PCL using a twin screw extruder to fabricate recycled α-Fe₂O₃/PCL nanocomposites. The samples were characterized for their microstructural properties through X - ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The complex permittivity and microwave absorption properties were respectively measured using the open ended coaxial (OEC) probe and a microstrip in connection with a vector network analyzer in the 1–4 GHz frequency range. An average α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticle size of 16.2 nm was obtained with a maximum imaginary (ε") part of permittivity value of 0.54 at 4 GHz. The complex permittivity and power loss values of the nanocomposites increased with recycled α-Fe₂O₃ nanofiller content. At 2.4 GHz, the power loss (dB) values obtained for all the nanocomposites were between 13.3 dB and 14.4 dB and at 3.4 GHz, a maximum value of 16.37 dB was achieved for the 20 % wt. nanocomposite. The recycled α-Fe₂O₃/PCL nanocomposites have the potential for use in noise reduction applications in the 1–4 GHz range.

Facile synthesis of Fe2O3 nanoparticles from Egyptian insecticide cans for efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and crystal violet dyes

In this study, Fe₂O₃ (hematite) nanoparticles with different crystallite sizes (40-59 nm) were synthesized from Egyptian insecticide cans using the combustion method. The organic fuels were urea, glycine, L-alanine, and L-valine. Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles were characterized utilizing different devices such as BET, PL, FT-IR, XRD, HR-TEM, FE-SEM, UV-Vis, and DTG. Crystal violet (CV) and methylene blue (MB) dyes were efficiently removed from aqueous solution by photocatalytic degradation under UV irradiation in the presence of Fe₂O₃ and H₂O₂. The % degradation of 50 mL crystal violet or methylene blue dye (20 mg/L) using 0.1 g Fe₂O₃ in the presence of H₂O₂ was 100% after 30 or 40 min, respectively. Also, the degradation processes are fitted well with the first order model. Besides, the photocatalytic activity of Fe₂O₃ unaltered even after it was reused three times. Hence, the synthesized Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles can be considered a promising and efficient photocatalyst for the degradation of crystal violet and methylene blue dyes.

Complex Permittivity and Microwave Absorption Properties of OPEFB Fiber-Polycaprolactone Composites Filled with Recycled Hematite (α-Fe2O3) Nanoparticles

Recycled hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) nanoparticles with enhanced complex permittivity properties have been incorporated as a filler in a polycaprolactone (PCL) matrix reinforced with oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber for microwave absorption applications. The complex permittivity values were improved by reducing the particle sizes to the nano scale via high-energy ball milling for 12 h. A total of 5–20 wt.% recycled α-Fe₂O₃/OPEFB/PCL nanocomposites were examined for their complex permittivity and microwave absorption properties via the open ended coaxial (OEC) technique and the transmission/reflection line measurement using a microstrip connected to a two-port vector network analyzer. The microstructural analysis of the samples included X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). At 1 GHz, the real (ε′) and imaginary (ε″) parts of complex permittivity of recycled α-Fe₂O₃ particles, respectively, increased from 7.88 to 12.75 and 0.14 to 0.40 when the particle size was reduced from 1.73 μm to 16.2 nm. A minimum reflection loss of −24.2 dB was achieved by the 20 wt.% nanocomposite at 2.4 GHz. Recycled α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles are effective fillers for microwave absorbing polymer-based composites in 1–4 GHz range applications.

Sustainable Recycling of Insoluble Rust Waste for the Synthesis of Iron-Containing Perovskite-Type Catalysts

Insoluble rust waste from the scraping of rusted iron-containing materials represents a cheap, eco-friendly, and available source of iron. LaFeO₃ perovskite-type powders were successfully prepared by solution combustion synthesis using rust waste from an electricity transmission tower manufacturer. Solution combustion synthesis enabled introduction of this insoluble iron precursor directly into the final product, bypassing complex extraction procedures. Catalytic activity in the propylene oxidation of the waste-derived LaFeO₃ with stoichiometric Fe/La ratio was almost identical to the commercial iron nitrate-derived LaFeO₃, thus demonstrating the viability of this recycling solution. The amount of waste iron precursor was varied and its effect on the powder properties was investigated. A lesser stoichiometric amount of precursor produced a LaFeO₃-La₂O₃ binary system, whereas a higher stoichiometric amount led to a LaFeO₃-Fe₂O₃ binary system. Catalytic activity of iron-rich compositions in the propylene oxidation was only slightly lower than the stoichiometric one, whereas iron-poor compositions were much less active. This eco-friendly methodology can be easily extended to other iron perovskites with different chemical compositions and to other iron-containing compounds.

Additive-Free Rice Starch-Assisted Synthesis of Spherical Nanostructured Hematite for Degradation of Dye Contaminant

Nanostructured hematite materials for advanced applications are conventionally prepared with the presence of additives, tainting its purity with remnants of copolymer surfactants, active chelating molecules, stabilizing agents, or co-precipitating salts. Thus, preparing nanostructured hematite via additive-free and green synthesis methods remains a huge hurdle. This study presents an environmentally friendly and facile synthesis of spherical nanostructured hematite (Sp-HNP) using rice starch-assisted synthesis. The physicochemical properties of the Sp-HNP were investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DR UV-Vis), and nitrogen adsorption–desorption analysis. The Sp-HNP showed a well-crystallized structure of pure rhombohedral phase, having a spherical-shaped morphology from 24 to 48 nm, and a surface area of 20.04 m²/g. Moreover, the Sp-HNP exhibited enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye, owing to the large surface-to-volume ratio. The current work has provided a sustainable synthesis route to produce spherical nanostructured hematite without the use of any hazardous agents or toxic additives, in agreement with the principles of green chemistry for the degradation of dye contaminant.

Hematite nanoparticle clusters with remarkably high magnetization synthesized from water-treatment waste by one-step “sharp high-temperature dehydration”

Hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) nanoparticle clusters with an exceptionally high magnetization of 51 emu g⁻¹ were synthesized for the first time. This material was prepared from water-treatment waste by a new “sharp high-temperature dehydration” process.