Advanced material manufacturing obtained from natural products for wastewater treatment
Date of Award
12-2024
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Chemical and Paper Engineering
First Advisor
Mert Atilhan, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
James Springstead, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Priyanka Sharma, Ph.D.
Fourth Advisor
Matt Reeves, Ph.D.
Abstract
Water purification is the process of eliminating impurities from water so that it can be consumed or used for other purposes. The goal of this study was to develop purification materials derived from naturally occurring sources to address the contamination of water samples, notably targeting heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, selenium, phenolic compounds, urea, Bisphenol-A and personal care products like Methylparaben. Current commercial sorbents pose drawbacks due to their non-biodegradable and non-renewable nature, potentially leading to undesirable byproducts, and thus compromising economic viability. To address heavy metal removal, naturally available materials such as cellulose and corn stover underwent synthesis and modification via esterification reactions. Modified cellulose was further complexed with chitosan to yield a foam, while modified corn stover particles were synthesized through etherification with Monochloroacetamide to produce biosorbent material. The modification and characterization were analyzed with titrations, FTIR, SEM, and TGA. The effectiveness of these modified biosorbents were studied by treating contaminated water samples containing heavy metals like mercury, lead, cadmium, selenium, and arsenic, with changes in concentration assessed via conductivity measurements. Modified hardwood pulp chitosan foam demonstrated notable absorption properties for water and urea removal. Deep eutectic solvents and Eutectic gels were utilized for phenolic and methyl Paraben removal, with concentration changes analyzed using UV-visible spectroscopy techniques. In future studies, we aim to develop techniques utilizing eutectic gels and solvents for the removal of a wider range of personal care products and contaminants from water.
Access Setting
Dissertation-Abstract Only
Restricted to Campus until
12-1-2026
Recommended Citation
Sawant, Neha, "Advanced material manufacturing obtained from natural products for wastewater treatment" (2024). Dissertations. 4138.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/4138