Preparation and characterisation of green clay-polymer nanocomposite for heavy metals removal

ABSTRACT

Natural polymer Moringa oleifera seed as coagulant and bentonite clay as adsorbent were used for preparing novel composite coagulant. Results obtained from FTIR, SEM, TEM and P-XRD show that the bentonite clay and M. oleifera seed biopolymers physico-chemically interact with each other during the preparation of clay-polymer composite. The FTIR results show that the major functional groups present in bentonite clay and M. oleifera seed are integrated at nano levels in the novel composite to remove heavy metals from aqueous systems. The coagulo-adsorption using clay-polymer composite may be used for the adsorption of heavy metals ions from the aqueous systems. It becomes possible due to the structural characteristics of the clay crystallites together with the functional attraction of the biopolymer and it results in the formation of clay-polymer metal complexes. The clay-polymer nano-composite of M. oleifera seed and bentonite clay showed considerable cadmium, chromium and lead removal property.