Synthesis and characterization of conditioned carbon with iron nanoparticles for the arsenic removal in aqueous phase

Using pineapple husks conditioned with carboxymethylcellulose, hexamine and ferric nitrate, a carbonaceous material was obtained with nanoparticles of Fe (C Fe), which was characterized and tested for arsenic removal in the aqueous phase. The microscopic study showed spheres 4 microns and filaments 100 nm wide, so as iron particles whose diameter decreases to an average of 38.81 nm, when pyrolysis time was increased to 180 min. their distribution in the carbonaceous matrix is homogeneous. According to energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, C Fe contains C (82.29%), O (7.23%), K (0.68%), Ca (3.77%) and Fe (6.25%) and its diffraction pattern shows the characteristic peak of Fe (0), which is not observed in the coal without iron. By neutron activation analysis were quantified Al, Br, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Hf, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc and Zn, they can be involved in the process of sorption of As (v) forming surface active sites. For C Fe and C B characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, groups C-H, C=O, C=C, -Nh, NH2, isocyanate and isonitrile were found, the last two were formed by the present hexamine. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed energy states of C 1 and O 1 in pineapple shell washed, shell conditioned with iron, C Fe at different times and the pyrolysis coal without iron (C B). The material C Fe 180 presented a specific area of 167 m2/g and 7.12 ± 1 sites/nm2 isoelectric point while pHi = 11.1 C B is 98.80 m2/g specific area and 1.5 ± 1 sites/nm2 and pHi = 10.6, being favorable to the sorption process. The highest removal of As(v) for both materials was at ph = 2, fitting the kinetic data to pseudo-second order model. The isotherms as a function of concentration were adjusted to Freundlich model indicating multilayer chemisorption at specific sites of a heterogeneous medium. Characterization by scanning electron microscopy after the sample sorption Fe nanoparticles remain in the carbonaceous matrix being not affected by the agitation of ph change during the removal process. (Author)