title: Adsorption of Toluene and Paraxylene from Aqueous Solution Using Pure and Iron Oxide Impregnated Carbon Nanotubes: Kinetics and Isotherms Study.
abstract: Multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and iron oxide impregnated carbon nanotubes (CNTs-iron oxide) were investigated for the adsorption of hazardous toluene and paraxylene (p-xylene) from aqueous solution. Pure CNTs were impregnated with iron oxides nanoparticles using wet impregnation technique. Various characterization techniques including thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, elemental dispersion spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and nitrogen adsorption analysis were used to study the thermal degradation, surface morphology, purity, and surface area of the materials. Batch adsorption experiments show that iron oxide impregnated CNTs have higher degree of removal of p-xylene (i.e., 90%) compared with toluene (i.e., 70%), for soaking time 2 h, with pollutant initial concentration 100 ppm, at pH 6 and shaking speed of 200 rpm at 25°C. Pseudo-second-order model provides better fitting for the toluene and p-xylene adsorption. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models demonstrate good fitting for the adsorption data of toluene and p-xylene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore 54890, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Aamir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Basim Ahmed
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6330-064X
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Abussaud
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.
authors.lastname: Ihsanullah
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Nadhir A H
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Al-Baghli
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Halim Hamid
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0033-0862
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Redhwi