Comparative study of EVA-Cloisite^® 20A and heat-treated EVA-Cloisite^® 20A on heavy-metal adsorption properties

Abstract

Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA)/ Cloisite® 20A (C20A) composite fabricated via the melt-blending method was used for the development of a heavy-metal adsorbent through acid and heat treatment. Heat-treated composites were produced at 400°C to 1 000°C in air and N 2 atmospheres. The materials were characterised through TGA, FT-IR, contact angle and Zetasizer. Treating EVA/C20A composites with H 2 SO 4 at 130°C reduced the contact angle from 99.73° to 30.40°. The acid-functionalised composite was tested for the removal of Pb 2+ and an adsorption capacity of 49 mg•g −1 was recorded while the heattreated composite exhibited an adsorption capacity of 153 mg•g −1.

Two different routes to prepare porous biodegradable composite membranes containing nanoclay

“…Dlamini and collaborators made a polymer composite consisting of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) with added C20A particles for the retention of a bivalent lead cation (Pb(II)) with an adsorption capacity of 153 mg g À1 . 26 Particles in the polymeric membrane can be mixed with the polymeric solution, resulting in a homogeneous dispersion. 27 This incorporation within the polymer solution changes the thermodynamic and kinetic properties, which may affect the final morphology of the membrane.…”