Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of Mercury Adsorption by Inverse-Vulcanized Porous Sulfur Copolymers

Abstract

This computational study analyzes mercury adsorption from wastewater using inversed-vulcanized porous sulfur copolymers. Two inverse-vulcanized sulfur copolymer foams reported previously were selected for this study. These foams were prepared using poly (sodium 4-styrene sulfonate) and sodium chloride as porogens. Mercury adsorption on these copolymer foams was studied and compared to elemental sulfur. Various process parameters were examined, such as mercury-ion concentrations, the volumetric flow rate of wastewater, temperature, and thickness of the adsorbent material. Studying all of these parameters helps optimize the process conditions at high adsorption capacity and predict suitable operational parameters for industrial applications. The CFD model results are validated with the experimental results at fixed and varied operational conditions. The inverse-vulcanized sulfur copolymer foams prepared by using the poly (sodium 4-styrene sulfonate) commoner present high porosity (59.09%), less density (0.53 g/cm 3 ), and smaller particle size (20−50 μm). Therefore, it exhibits high adsorption efficiency in the case of experimental (244 μg/g) and CFD simulations (249 μg/g) compared to other samples.

A Comprehensive Exploration of Polysulfides, From Synthesis Techniques to Diverse Applications and Future Frontiers

“…Porosity was dependent on the concentration of different cross-linkers and salts. 172 The mercury adsorption capacity increases with pore volume up to 150 μg/g at 60 °C and high sulfur contents.…”

“…Elemental sulfur was cross-linked with divinylbenzene at 165 °C through the inverse vulcanization technique and pores created by porogen (NaCl). Porosity was dependent on the concentration of different cross-linkers and salts . The mercury adsorption capacity increases with pore volume up to 150 μg/g at 60 °C and high sulfur contents.…”

“…One of the greatest challenges is the removal of heavy metal ions from the water, which can be sorted by utilizing sulfur copolymers. Sulfur polymers have shown promising potential for the removal of heavy metals from water due to their unique properties. ,,,− The following are some key points regarding the use of sulfur polymers for heavy metal removal. Sulfur polymers possess a high affinity for heavy metals, allowing them to effectively adsorb and bind with metal ions present in water.…”