Preparation of Cellulose/Chitin Blend Materials and Influence of Their Properties on Sorption of Heavy Metals

Dao Zhou, Hongyu Wang and Shenglian Guo
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Dao Zhou: School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
Hongyu Wang: School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
Shenglian Guo: School of Hydraulic Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-11

Abstract: A series of biodegradable cellulose/chitin materials (beads and membranes) were successfully prepared by mixing cellulose with chitin in an NaOH/thiourea–water system and coagulation in a H 2 SO 4 solution. The effects of chitin content on the materials’ mechanical properties, morphology, structure, and sorption ability for heavy metal ions (Pb 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Cu 2+ ) were studied by tensile tests, scanning electron micrographs, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results revealed that the cellulose/chitin blends exhibited relatively good mechanical properties, a homogeneous, microporous mesh structure, and the existence of strong hydrogen bonds between molecules of cellulose and chitin when the chitin content was less than 30 wt%, which indicated a good compatibility of the cellulose/chitin materials. Furthermore, in the same chitin content range, Pb 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Cu 2+ can be adsorbed efficiently onto the cellulose/chitin beads at pH 0 = 5, and the sorption capacity of the beads is more than that of chitin flakes. This shows that the hydrophilicity and microporous mesh structure of the blends are favorable for the kinetics of sorption. Preparation of environmentally friendly cellulose/chitin blend materials provides a simple and economical way to remove and recover heavy metals, showing a potential application of chitin as a functional material.

Keywords: cellulose; chitin; blend materials; sorption; heavy metal removal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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