Application of carbon fiber/ZIF-8 nanocomposite for separation of CTAB surfactant from water, isotherm and kinetics studies

The aim of this study was to produce porous nanomaterials with a high specific surface area to increase the separation capacity of the cationic surfactant of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) from water. To this end,, meso and micro-porous carbon fiber / ZIF-8 nanocomposites were produced in situ without the use of surfactants by a simple and cost-effective method of sediment synthesis with superhydrophobicity and high specific surface area. Nanocomposite capacity analyzes were studied quantitatively and qualitatively by standard methods. According to the results, ZIF-8 particles with a crystal size of 27 nm and an average size of 30 to 50 nm were obtained. A rough surface with a ZIF-8 coating thickness of between 0.1-1 microns was obtained for carbon fiber / ZIF-8 nanocomposites. According to the research findings, the maximum adsorption of 388 mg / g for surfactant by fiber-carbon nanocomposite / ZIF-8 with a specific surface area of ​​260 m2 / g and the porosity of micropores and mesopores with an average size of 1.6 nm and 3/8 was obtained. Superhydrophobicity of carbon fiber nanocomposite / ZIF-8 with wettability angle with water of 150 ° and electrostatic collisions were identified as the dominant mechanisms of surfactant separation. The performance of the adsorbent in static and dynamic systems with the effect of different parameters was investigated in this study. The adsorption mechanism of the surfactant on the adsorbent was interpreted by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model, and the first-order kinetics is the control mechanism of the adsorbent behavior over time.