Water contamination by metal ions, particularly copper (Cu²?), remains a major environmental concern due to its toxicity and persistence in aquatic systems. In this context, the development of efficient and sustainable materials for water treatment has gained increasing attention. In this work, cellulose-based hydrogels crosslinked with epichlorohydrin were produced and modified by incorporating Brazilian Brasgel clay. Based on previous results, the formulation containing 10 wt.% of clay (HB10%) was selected and compared with the unmodified hydrogel (H) for Cu²? removal from aqueous solution. Structural characterization showed that the addition of clay did not significantly alter the hydrogel's chemical composition but did promote stronger intermolecular interactions, as indicated by FTIR analysis. XRD results revealed a predominantly amorphous structure, with a slight increase in crystallinity after clay incorporation, suggesting some structural reorganization. The reduced intensity of clay-related peaks also indicates good dispersion of the inorganic phase within the polymer matrix. Morphological analysis by SEM revealed that the modified hydrogel exhibits a more compact, organized porous structure with smaller pores and thicker walls. These changes are favorable for mass transfer and adsorption processes. In adsorption tests, the HB10% sample exhibited a significantly higher Cu²? removal efficiency (50.7%) than the neat hydrogel (32%). This improvement is attributed to the increase in available active sites and stronger interactions between the metal ions and the composite material. The adsorption equilibrium was better described by the Langmuir model, indicating monolayer adsorption on relatively homogeneous sites. The improved fit for HB10% suggests that clay incorporation contributes to a more uniform distribution of active sites. Overall, the results demonstrate that incorporating clay enhances both the structural properties and the adsorption performance of cellulose hydrogels, highlighting their potential for water treatment applications.
Comissão Organizadora
Pedro Alves da Silva Autreto
Comissão Científica
Ferramenta completa de submissão, avaliação e publicação de anais para eventos científicos.
