Enhanced and selective adsorption of tamoxifen using sodium dodecyl sulfate modified oil-based drill cutting ash

[Display omitted] •A novel SDS-modified oil-based drill cutting ash was prepared.•SDS-OBDCA demonstrated strong adsorption capacity (107 mg/g) for TMX.•SDS-OBDCA displayed high cycle stability for TMX adsorption.•SDS-OBDCA showed high selectivity in TMX adsorption from binary solutions. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-modified oil-based drill cutting ash (OBDCA) was prepared and used as an adsorbent for the adsorption of tamoxifen (TMX). The TMX adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherms, and thermodynamic processes of OBDCA/SDS-OBDCA were investigated. The adsorption process is observed to fit well with the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir model, with an adsorption quantity of 107 mg/g. The adsorption process is possibly dominated by simultaneous physical and chemical adsorption. The adsorption behavior of TMX on OBDCA/SDS-OBDCA was spontaneous and exothermic. OBDCA and SDS-OBDCA were characterized using XRD, SEM, FTIR, zeta potential, N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, and pore size distribution. The selective adsorption of TMX on OBDCA was tested using a binary solution of TMX and methylene blue (MB). Strong hydrogen bonding and low surface area possibly contributed to the high selective adsorption of TMX on OBDCA. This study provides a novel approach for modification and utilization of OBDCA to achieve the selective removal of anti-hormone pollutants.