Preparação e caracterização de compósitos a base de fosfatos de ferro suportados em carvões ativados de resíduos de caroços de açaí e do endocarpo de tucumã para aplicação ambiental

Abstract

Activated charcoal (CA) are widely used for the removal of environmental pollution through the process of absorption, and can be produced from the biomass of agro-industrial residues. The CA, when imbued with iron oxide leads to the formation of composites that usually have a high oxidative power and are capable of absorbing organic and inorganic contaminants. These composites when constituted of iron ions (Fe3+/Fe2+) in the presence of H2O2 under UV irradiation, generate highly oxidant hydroxyl radicals (HO•) that are capable of completely degrade organic pollutants. The reaction is classified as photo-Fenton heterogeneous, or rather Advanced Oxidative Process (POA). Therefore, composite materials (CP’s) were prepared based on iron phosphates (mixture of H3PO4 and Fe(NO3)3•9H2O) added on CA composed of residues of açaí seeds and tucumã endocarps, respectively, through pyrolysis at temperatures ranging from 400 to 500 oC, for removal of the methylene blue dye (AM) and lead ion (Pb2+) in aqueous solution. The materials obtained were characterized by the analytical techniques: FTIR. MEV, DRX, TGA/DTG and absorption/desorption of N2 (BET). The Rietveld refinement of the DRX data from the composites showed two crystalline phases of iron phosphates, Iron III tris-phosphates [Fe(PO3)3] and Iron II tetrametaphosphate (Fe2P4O12), both incorporated in the carbonate matrix (CA). The absorption tests of the materials towards AM were >90% for all CA’s and <23.5 % for CP’s after 180 min of contact. While, the removal capacity of trace metals, Pb2+, by the CA’s and CP’s tested, varied between 11.0 and 29.3 % of removal by absorptive process. All CP’s showed a removal capacity of > 97 %, for the time of contact of 240 min, combining the process of absorption and Photo-Fenton Heterogeneous oxidative degradation.