Efficient Rhodamine B degradation via Fenton-like and E-Fenton processes using magnetic biochar from rubber seed...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Water Treatment Technologies

Background:

• Industrial effluents often contain persistent organic pollutants like Rhodamine B (RhB).
• Conventional wastewater treatment methods struggle with efficient dye removal.
• Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) offer promising solutions for degrading recalcitrant pollutants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and evaluate magnetic biochar from rubber seed shells for RhB removal.
• To investigate the efficacy of Fenton-like and electro-Fenton (E-Fenton) processes using this catalyst.
• To assess the catalyst's stability and reusability in wastewater treatment applications.

Main Methods:

• Magnetic biochar (RBCF12) synthesized via pyrolysis of rubber seed shells and α-FeOOH precipitation.
• Characterization using XRD, SEM, EDX, and FTIR to confirm material properties.
• RhB degradation studies using Fenton-like and E-Fenton processes under optimized conditions.

Main Results:

• Optimized magnetic biochar achieved 91.67% RhB degradation efficiency.
• Degradation kinetics followed a pseudo-first-order model.
• The catalyst demonstrated excellent stability and reusability, maintaining >60% efficiency after 6 cycles.

Conclusions:

• Magnetic biochar derived from rubber seed shells is an efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable material for AOPs.
• The combined Fenton-like and E-Fenton approach offers a robust solution for industrial dye contamination.
• This study contributes to developing sustainable and efficient wastewater treatment practices.