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Green Flexible Polyurethane Foam as a Potent Support for Fe-Si Adsorbent
Afiqah Ahmad1, Siti Nurul Ain Md Jamil1,2, Thomas Shean Yaw Choong3
1Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.
Polymers
|December 11, 2019
Summary
Flexible polyurethane foam (PUF) derived from palm oil was developed as a support for iron-silica (Fe-Si) adsorbent. This composite material effectively removes methylene blue from water, offering a sustainable solution for environmental cleanup.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Environmental Chemistry
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Polyurethane foam (PUF) is a versatile material.
- Palm oil is a renewable resource.
- Adsorbent recovery is crucial for environmental remediation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prepare and characterize a flexible palm oil-based PUF.
- To develop an iron-silica (Fe-Si)/PUF composite (Fe-Si/PUC) for adsorbent support.
- To evaluate the performance of Fe-Si/PUC in removing methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions.
Main Methods:
- Fe-Si adsorbent was impregnated onto PUF using an immersion-drying method.
- Morphological analysis confirmed successful impregnation.
- Compression tests and thermogravimetric analysis assessed material properties.
Main Results:
- Fe-Si/PUC demonstrated effective removal of 90.0% of 10 ppm methylene blue in 60 minutes.
- The composite retained 55.9% removal efficiency on the seventh cycle, indicating reusability.
- Successful impregnation of Fe-Si onto PUF was confirmed.
Conclusions:
- Palm oil-based PUF serves as a viable and flexible support for Fe-Si adsorbent.
- The Fe-Si/PUC composite shows significant potential for environmental cleanup applications.
- This study proposes a mechanism for physical interaction during adsorbent impregnation.
