The adsorption of crystal violet (CV) onto date palm fibers (DPFs) was examined in aqueous solution at 25°C. The experimental maximum adsorption capacity value was0.66×10−6. Langmuir, Freundlich, Elovich and Temkin models were applied to describe the equilibrium isotherms. The influence of pH and temperature on dye removal was evaluated. The percentage removal of CV dye by adsorption onto DPF at different pH and temperatures showed that these factors play a role in the adsorption process. Thermodynamic analysis was performed, and the Gibbs free energyΔGο, enthalpy changeΔHο, and entropyΔSοwere calculated. The negative values ofΔGοindicate spontaneous adsorption. The negative value ofΔHοindicates that the interaction between CV and DPF is exothermic, and the positive value ofΔSοindicates good affinity between DPF and CV. The kinetic data were fitted to a pseudo-second-order model.

Polymer nanocomposites of polystyrene matrix containing 10% wt of organo-montmorillonite (organo-MMT) were prepared using the solution method with sonication times of 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 hours. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is used to modify the montmorillonite clay aer saturating its surface with Na + ions. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the montmorillonite before and aer modi�cation by CTAB. e prepared nanocomposites were characterized using the same analysis methods. ese results con�rm the intercalation of PS in the interlamellar spaces of organo-MMT with a very small quantity of exfoliation of the silicate layers within the PS matrix of all samples at all studied times of sonication. e thermal stability of the nanocomposites was measured using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). e results show clear improvement, and the effects of sonication time are noted.

Eco-friendly polymer nanocomposite films were synthesized using biodegradable polymers of chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol as polymeric matrices and carbon black nanoparticles as the reinforcement. These films were applied to study their applicability to industrial wastewater purification as a photocatalyst for degradation of Congo red as a target pollutant and to study the effect of the polymeric matrix types of the films on their performance as a semiconductor photocatalyst. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the films. Visible light photocatalytic degradation of Congo red as a pollutant under various operational conditions of pH, dye concentration, contact time, and light intensity was performed. Photocatalytic results revealed that the polymeric substrate type does not play a major role in the photodegradation of the dye, and the best operational conditions were at a pH of 6 and a dye solution concentration of 8 mg/L.

Three kinds of samples of PP, first was pure PP, second was PP with the basic stabilization and third with the talc as inorganic filler. The samples were produced using injection molding. The stability of prepared samples in natural weathering condition of Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia was studied. FT-IR and SEM were used to analyze the structural change. Stress at break, elongation at break and young's modulus measured as mechanical properties. However, talc was found to be able to stabilize PP a little.

No abstract

Pesticide residues are harmful to the environment and human and animal health even at low levels because of long-term bioaccumulation. In this study, photolysis was applied to treat three representative water samples: aqueous atrazine and dimethoate solutions as target pesticides, as well as wastewater and agriculture wastewater containing pesticide residue. It was performed using ultraviolet (UV) irradiation at two wavelengths (254 and 306 nm) with exposure times ranging from 2 to 12 h in the presence and absence of a photocatalyst to identify the optimal degradation conditions. Extraction and analyzation process were performed by the Quick Easy Cheap Effective Rugged Safe (QuEChERS) methods and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry with triple quadrupole detector (GC–MSMS/TQD), respectively. Photodegradation increased with an increase in exposure time and the TiO2 catalyst was beneficial for degradation. Both selected irradiation wavelengths were effective, although the wavelength of λ = 306 nm was the most efficient.

Organic pesticides are major sources of soil pollution in agricultural lands. Most of these pesticides are persistent and tend to bio accumulate in humans upon consumption of contaminated plants. In this study, we investigate different natural soil samples that were collected from agricultural lands. The samples revealed the presence of 18 pesticides that belong to four different groups including organochlorines (OCP), organophosphorus (OPP), carbamates (Carb), and pyrethroids (Pyrth). The photocatalytic degradation of the five most abundant pesticides was studied in the presence and absence of 1% TiO2 or ZnO photocatalysts under UV irradiation at a wavelength of 306 nm. The five abundant pesticides were Atrazine (OCP), Chlorpyrifos methyl (OPP), Dimethoate (OPP), Heptachlor (OCP), and Methomyl (Carb). The results showed that photolysis of all pesticides was complete under UV radiation for irradiation times between 64–100 h. However, both photocatalysts enhanced photocatalytic degradation of the pesticides in comparison with photolysis. The pesticides were photocatalytically degraded completely within 20–24 h of irradiation. The TiO2 photocatalyst showed higher activity compared to ZnO. The organochlorine heptachlor, which is very toxic and persistent, was completely degraded within 30 h using TiO2 photocatalyst for the first time in soil. The mechanism of photocatalytic degradation of the pesticides was explained and the effects of different factors on the degradation process in the soil were discussed.

Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs)/polystyrene (PS) nanocomposites containing different concentrations of MWNTs were prepared by the solution evaporation method. Dispersion of MWNTs in PS was achieved by using ultrasonic energy. The structure of nanocomposites was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The dielectric constant (ε′), dielectric loss (ε″), and ac conductivity (σ ac ) were measured from room temperature to 100°C over the frequency range 10 3 Hz-1.2 MHz. The results show that the dielectric properties depend on both frequency and temperature and they are enhanced by increasing the MWNTs content.