Removal of Organic Pollutants from Pharmaceutical Plants Waste Water using Polymer Blends Doped with Metal Nanoparticles

Abstract

In this study, polymer blends thin films and polymer blends nano composites, of poly vinyl alcohol, gelatin and copper oxide nanoparticles were prepared in different ratios using casting method. Some of these thin films (polymer blends and polymer blend nanocomposites) were exposed to an irradiation dose of 5KGy of γ rays. The irradiated thin films were studied using different techniques such as: FTIR, UV-VIS., XRD, SEM…etc. FTIR results showed no significant difference between unirradiated and irradiated thin films, but swelling degree results showed a significant difference upon irradiation.It is clear that the maximum values of, swelling degree percentages of the studied unirradiated nanocomposite film ratios appeared after 2hr of dipping in de-ionized water. The maximum percentage swelling degree of unirradiated nanocomposite film percentag (PVA/Gelatin/CuO0.01%, 0.1%) reached 522% after two hours, while it is 220% for irradiated films.SEM images of polymer nanocomposite films of (PVA/Gelatin/CuO) showed that the surface was smooth, continuous and is homogeneous,also, CuO nanoparticles were distributed in the surface of polymer matrix. XRD showed thatthe shifts of the characteristic peak in patterns of nanocomposite films of (PVA/Gelatin/CuO) to 2θ values indicate that there is an increase in the interlayer spacing polymer, which is consistent with the presence of the polymeric species in the matrix. The adsorption behavior of eosin yellow (EY) from aqueous solution ontovarious ratios ofPVA/Gelatin/CuO filmin batchtechnique was studied.The effect of pH,dosage of adsorbent, contact time, and the initial concentration of dye at room temperature were investigated. The maximum amount of dyeremoval found about 90% at pH 4, the adsorption dose 0.2mg/L, with an initial dye concentration of 5 mg/L, at 25˚C, with 60 min contact time.