Preparation of polyethylene–supported zero–valent iron buoyant catalyst and its performance for Ponceau 4R decolorization by photo–Fenton process

•A novel polyethylene–supported zero–valent iron buoyant catalyst was developed.•The new catalyst was tested for the treatment of a colored effluent by photo–Fenton.•Total decolorization of Ponceau 4R dye was attained at 15 min of reaction.•The buoyant catalyst exhibited easy separation, good stability and recyclability. In this work, zero–valent iron powders were supported onto polyethylene pellet using thermal attachment method at low temperature (120 °C). Polyethylene–supported zero–valent iron was used as a photo–Fenton buoyant catalyst for the removal of Ponceau 4R dye from aqueous solution under visible light. The material was characterized by X–ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X–ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier–transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and photographic images. Through the results, excellent adherence of zero–valent iron powders onto the polyethylene pellet surface was obtained. The material showed satisfactory catalytic activity, reaching total decolorization of Ponceau 4R dye at 15 min of reaction. In addition, the buoyant catalyst exhibited other advantages such as easy separation from aqueous solution, good stability and recyclability. Therefore, this research exhibited the great potential of polyethylene–supported zero–valent iron as a photo–Fenton buoyant catalyst to apply in environmental remediation.