Fabrication of Ag2O/MgO Activated Carbon Nanocomposite Using Upholstery Waste for Enhanced Oil Compounds Removal

IJEP 46(1): 3-15 : Vol. 46 Issue. 1 (January 2026)

Full Text

Talib M. Subkh and Raghad F. Almilly

University of Baghdad, Department of Chemical Engineering, Baghdad Governorate, Iraq

Abstract

This work developed a new nanocomposite (Ag2O/MgO/AC) from activated carbon (AC) made from upholstery waste (UW) through carbonization and precipitation methods. It used 5% hydrated magnesium silicate (Mg3SiO4·10(OH)2) and silver nitrate (AgNO3) to improve adsorption properties and add functional groups for organic removal from refinery wastewater (RWW) via a batch process. The study compared these composites with activated carbon alone. FTIR, FE-SEM, EDX, XRD and BET analyses characterized the physico-chemical properties of the activated carbon and Ag2O/MgO/AC samples. The organic contaminant removal efficiency was tested under four conditions: dose (0.2-1 g), pH (3-9), agitation speed (100-300 rpm) and contact time (30-120 min). The highest surface efficiency for organic removal was with Ag2O/MgO/AC, reaching 99.6%, compared to 92.3%, 88.7% and 74.6% for Ag2O/AC, MgO/AC and AC, respectively, at a 1 g dose, pH 3, 300 rpm and 120 min. This shows that Ag2O/MgO/AC provides superior adsorption for organic removal in refinery wastewater. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model best describes the adsorption rate, with R²=0.9923. This study also shows that Ag2O/MgO/AC can be successfully made from upholstery waste and used effectively to degrade organic compounds in refinery wastewater.

Keywords

Refinery wastewater, Oil removal, Batch adsorption, New composite of activated carbon, Upholstery waste, Optimization

References

  1. Raheem, S., Al-yaqoobi, A., Znad, H. and Abid, H.R. 2024. Caffeine extraction from spent coffee grounds by solid-liquid and ultrasound-assisted extraction: Kinetic and thermodynamic study. Iraqi J. Chem. Petroleum Eng., 25(1): 49–57. DOI: 10.3169 9/IJCPE.2024.1.5
  2. Ibrahim, M.K., Al-Hassan, A.A. and Naje, A.S. 2019. Utilization of Cassia surattensis seeds as natural adsorbent for oil content removal in oilfield produced water. Pertanika J. Sci. Tech., 27(4): 2123–2138.
  3. AlJaberi, F.Y., Abdulmajeed, B.A., Hassan, A.A. and Ghadban, M.L. 2020. Assessment of an electrocoagulation reactor for the removal of oil content and turbidity from real oily wastewater using response surface method. Recent Innov. Chem. Eng., 13(1): 55–71. doi: 10.2174/240552041266 6190830091842.
  4. Rashid, A.H., Hassan, A.A., Hadi, R.T. and Naje, A.S. 2020. Treatment of oil content in oilfield produced water using chemically modified waste sawdust as biosorbent. Ecol. Env. Conserv., 26(4): 1563–1571.
  5. Al-Zobai, K.M.M. and Hassan, A.A. 2022. Utilization of iron oxide nanoparticles (hematite) as adsor-bent for removal of organic pollutants in refinery wastewater. Mater. Sci. Forum. 1065: 91–100. DOI: 10.4028/p-i14w2f.
  6. Maiti, K., Thanh, T.D., Sharma, K., Hui, D., Kim, N.H. and Lee, J.H. 2017. Highly efficient adsorbent based on novel cotton flower-like porous boron nitride for organic pollutant removal. Compos. Part B Eng., 123: 45–54. doi: 10.1016/j.compositesb. 2017.05.018.
  7. Al-Jubouri, S. M., Sabbar, H.A., Waisi, B.I. and Lafta, H.A. 2019. Effect of synthesis parameters on the formation 4A zeolite crystals: Characterization analysis and heavy metals uptake performance study for water treatment. Desalin. Water Treat., 165: 290–300. doi: 10.5004/dwt.2019.24566.
  8. Qureshi, U.A., Hameed, B.H. and Ahmed, M.J. 2020. Adsorption of endocrine disrupting compounds and other emerging contaminants using lig-nocellulosic biomass-derived porous carbons: A review. J. Water Process Eng., 38: 101380. doi: 10.1016/j.jwpe.2020.101380.
  9. Wang, Y. and Lu, Q. 2020. Dendrimer functionalized nanocrystalline cellulose for Cu(II) removal. Cellulose. 27(4): 2173–2187. doi: 10.1007/s10570-0 19-02919-7.
  10. Al-Hassan, A. A. and Shakir, I. 2024. Enhanced photocatalytic activity of CuO/NCW via adsorption optimization for refinery wastewater. Iranian J. Chem. Chem. Eng., 44(147): 172-185. DOI: 10.30 492/ijcce.2024.2034599.6684.
  11. Ibrahim, H.A., Hassan, A.A., Ali, A.H. and Kareen, H.M. 2023. Organic removal from refinery wastewater by using electro catalytic oxidation. AIP Conf. Proc., 2806: 030012. DOI: 10.1063/5.0163257.
  12. Nawaf, A.T. and Abdulmajeed, B.A. 2024. Design of oscillatory helical baffled reactor and dual functional mesoporous catalyst for oxidative desul-phurization of real diesel fuel. Chem. Eng. Res. Design. 209: 193–209. doi: 10.1016/j.cherd.2024. 07.03 2.
  13. Al-Gaashani, R., Almasri, D., Shomar, B. and Kochkodan, V. 2020. Preparation and properties of novel activated carbon doped with aluminum oxide and silver for water treatment. J. Alloys Compd., 858: 158372. doi: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.1583 72.
  14. Hassan, A.A., Naeem, H.T. and Hadi, R.T. 2019. A comparative study of chemical material additives on polyacrylamide to treatment of wastewater in refineries. IOP Conf. Series Mater. Sci. Eng., 518(6): 62003. doi: 10.1088/1757-899X/518/6/062003.
  15. Hassan, A.A. and Shakir, I.K. 2024. Kinetic insights into solar-assisted fabrication and photocatalytic performance of CoWO4/NCW heterostructure. Bull. Chem. React. Eng. Catal., 19(3): 500-511. DOI: 10. 9767/bcrec.20198.
  16. Nawaf, A.T., Humadi, J.I., Hassan, A.A., Habila, M.A. and Haldhar, R. 2025. Improving of fuel quality and environment using new synthetic (Mn3O4/AC-nano-particles) for oxidative desulfurization using digital baffle batch reactor. South African J. Chem. Eng., 52: 8–19. doi: 10.1016/j.sajce.2025. 01.003.
  17. Karthik, C. and Radha, K.V. 2016. Silver nanopar-ticle loaded activated carbon: An escalated nano-composite with antimicrobial property. Orient. J. Chem., 32(1): 735–741. doi: 10.13005/ojc/320 182.
  18. Alfattal, A.H. and Abbas, A.S. 2019. Synthesized 2nd generation zeolite as an acid-catalyst for esterification reaction. Iraqi J. Chem. Petroleum Eng., 20(3): 67–73. DOI: 10.31699/ijcpe.2019.3.9.
  19. Pandi, N., Sonawane, S.H. and Kishore, K.A. 2021. Synthesis of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from cotton using ultrasound-assisted acid hydrolysis. Ultrason. Sonochem., 70: 105353. doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2020.105353.
  20. Jafer, A.S., Al-Khateeb, R., Alobaid, B., Atiyah, A. and Hassan, A.A. 2023. Copper removal from produced water by photo Fenton oxidation. AIP Conf. Proc., 2806: 070003. DOI: 10.1063/5.0165033.
  21. Billah, R.E.K., Ayouch, I., Abdellaoui, Y., Kassab, Z., Khan, M.A., Agunaou, M., Soufiane, A., Otero, M. and Jeon, B.H. 2023. A novel chitosan/nano-hydroxyapatite composite for the adsorptive remo-val of Cd(II) from aqueous solution. Polymers. 15(6): 1524. doi: 10.3390/polym15061524.
  22. Alamery, H.R.D. and Hassan, A.A. 2022. Effect of intensity of light and distance for decolonization in direct red wastewater by photo Fenton oxidation. ARPN J. Eng. Appl. Sci., 17 (8): 821-829.
  23. Kurniawan, T.W., Sulistyarti, H., Rumhayati, B. and Sabarudin, A. 2023. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and cellulose nanofibers CNFs) as adsorbents of heavy metal ions. J. Chem., 2023: 5037027. doi: 10.1155/2023/5037027.
  24. Hassan, A. A., Hadi, R.T., Rashid, A.H. and Naje, A.S. 2020. Chemical modification of castor oil as adsorbent material for oil content removal from oilfield produced water. Poll. Res., 39(4): 892–900.
  25. Su, N.C., Basirun, A.A., Sultan, N.S.H., Kanakaraju, D. and Wilfred, C.D. 2023. Modified nanocellulose-based adsorbent from sago waste for Diclofenac removal. Sustain., 15(7): 5650. doi: 10.3390/su15 075650.
  26. Hassan, A.A. and Al-Zobai, K.M.M. 2019. Chemical oxidation for oil separation from oilfield produced water under uv irradiation using titanium dioxide as a nano-photocatalyst by batch and continuous techniques. Int. J. Chem. Eng., 2019: 9810728. doi: 10.1155/2019/9810728.
  27. Jafer, A.S. and Hassan, A.A. 2019. Removal of oil content in oilfield produced water using chemically modified kiwi peels as efficient low-cost adsorbent. J. Phys. Conf. Series. 1294: 072013. doi: 10.10 88/1742-6596/1294/7/072013.
  28. Sulyman, M., Kueinska-Libka, J., Sienkiewiez, M. and Gierak, A. 2021. Development, characterization and evaluation of composite adsorbent for the adsorption of Crystal Violet from aqueous solution: Isotherm, kinetics and thermodynamic studies. Arabian J. Chem., 14(5): 103115. doi: 10.1016/j.arabj c.2021.103115.
  29. Nawaf, A.T. and Hassan, A.A. 2025. Design of (MnO2/GO) for removal organic compounds from wastewater using digital baffle batch reactor. Int. J. Env. Sci. Tech., 22(7): 1–20. DOI: 10.1007/s137 62-025-06414-4.
  30. Manesh, M.I., Sohrabi, M.R. and Nik, S.M. 2022. Nanoscale zero-valent iron supported on graphene novel adsorbent for the removal of Diazo Direct Red 81 from aqueous solution: Isotherm, kinetics and thermodynamic studies. Iranian J. Chem. Chem. Eng., 41(6): 1844–1855. doi: 10.30492/IJCCE.202 1.524000.4556.
  31. Majeed, B.A.A. and Sabar, D.A. 2017. Preparations of organoclay using cationic surfactant and characterization of PVC/ (bentonite and organoclay) composite prepared via melt blending method. Iraqi J. Chem. Petroleum Eng., 18(1): 17–36. doi: 10.31 699/ijcpe.2017.1.2.
  32. Jida, S.M. and Zerefa, E. A. 2023. Preparation and photocatalysis of ZnO/bentonite based on adsorption and photocatalytic activity. Mater. Res. Express. 10(3): 035502. doi: 10.1088/2053-1591/acbf0f.
  33. AL-Othman, Z.A., Ali, R. and Naushad, M. 2012. Hexavalent chromium removal from aqueous medium by activated carbon prepared from peanut shell: Adsorption kinetics, equilibrium and thermodynamic studies. Chem. Eng. J., 184: 238–247. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2012.01.048.
  34. Aydin, Y. A. and Aksoy, N.D. 2009. Adsorption of chromium on chitosan: Optimization, kinetics and thermodynamics. Chem. Eng. J., 151: 188–194. doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2009.02.010.
  35. Ding, G., Qin, G., Ying, W., Wang, P., Yang, Y., Tang, C., Liu, Q., Li, M., Huang, K. and Chen, S. 2024. Nano-silver-loaded activated carbon material derived from waste rice noodles: Adsorption and antibacterial performance. Nanomater., 14(22): 1857. doi: 10.3390/nano14221857.
  36. Yin, Z., Liu, S., Tian, Z., Zhao, X., He, J. and Wang, C. 2023. Carbon-based nanomaterials mediated adsorption and photodegradation of typical organic contaminants in aqueous fulvic acid solution. Water Sci. Tech., 88(7): 1863–1874. doi: 10.2166/wst. 2023.300.