Reactive porous composites for chromium(vi) reduction applications based on Fe/carbon obtained from post-consumer PET and iron oxide†
Abstract
By using post-consumer PET waste and iron oxide (Fe2O3), novel porous magnetic Fe/carbon composites for environmental applications have been obtained by a very simple process. XRD, Mössbauer, TG/MS, SEM, BET and Raman analyses have indicated that molten PET containing dispersed Fe2O3 particles decomposes in the 500–1000 °C range to produce a carbon matrix with developed micro and mesoporosities and surface areas of 136–260 m2 g−1, with simultaneous reduction of Fe3+ to iron phases whose composition depended on the decomposition temperature: (i) reactive Fe2+ phases, FeOOH, Fe3O4 (magnetite) and FeO (wüstite) for the composites obtained at 500–600 °C and (ii) Fe0 and Fe3C for those obtained at higher temperatures. Investigation of these composites for the reduction of aqueous chromium(VI) showed high activities for the materials obtained at 500 and 600 °C, which is discussed in terms of the phase composition and presence of carbon surface oxygen groups for the adsorption of Cr3+.
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