Utilização de adsorvente particulado da casca do fruto da timbaúva para tratamento de efluente têxtil

Abstract

The textile industry is responsible for generating highly polluted effluents, which becomes a potential environmental problem when the waste is improperly discharged into watercourses. This study aims to demonstrate thephysicochemical characterization of a plant-based material, Enterolobium contortisiliquum (vell.) Morong, known as timbaúva, and evaluate its application as a natural adsorbent for textile effluents.The material was characterized in its natural powder form (Tnatural), powder washed with water (TH2O), and powder washed with sodium hydroxide (TNaOH), using techniques such as particle size analysis, SEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR and TGA. The adsorption potential was assessed only with the powdered fruit peel washed with water (TH2O), as SEM analysis revealed a larger amorphous and porous region in this material. EDS analysis showed characteristic elements of cellulose-based materials such as carbon, oxygen, and potassium.XRD analysis calculated a crystallinity index of approximately 23% in the powder washed with TH2O, indicating an amorphous structure ideal for adsorbent materials. FTIR analysis identified characteristic peaks of cellulose-based materials in all three samples. XRF analysis revealed the chemical elements, with potassium being the predominant element, accounting for approximately 89.8% in the natural powder (Tnatural). The TGA curves showed that the degradation temperature was very similar among the samples, indicating that despite different treatments, they have the same base of cellulose-based and organic materials. The evaluation of the adsorption potential was conducted through a kinetic study using a basic trichrome dye as the effluent, considering three different concentrations and utilizing only the water-washed powder (TH2O) samples as the adsorbent. The absorbance spectrum in the visible region for the trichrome dyes used exhibited a peak of highest intensity at a wavelength of 520nm (λ_max), and the experiments indicated that the material has bioadsorbent potential for color removal from synthetic effluents.