Removal of toxic heavy metal Cd(II) and Cu(II) ions using glutaraldehyde-cross-linked KFC/CNT/PVA ternary blend

Biopolymer blends using kenaf fiber cellulose (KFC), carbon nanotubes (CNT), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with and without glutaraldehyde cross-linker were amined to prepare in the present study for the removal of toxic heavy metals copper and cadmium. The prepared ternary blends were then characterized using FTIR, XRD, SEM, and BET analysis. KFC/CNT/PVA + Glu ternary blend has a specific surface area of 148.33 m 2 g −1 , a pore volume of 0.68 cm 3 g −1 , and a pore size of 5.17 nm. The amorphous form of the KFC/CNT/PVA + Glu ternary blend demonstrated its appropriateness for the removal of Cd(II) and Cu(II) ions based on XRD and SEM measurements. Batch adsorption studies are used to determine the material’s adsorption efficiency by altering factors, including adsorbent dose, contact time, pH, and initial metal ion concentration. The data was examined using pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models and fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The results reveal that the Freundlich equation and pseudo-second-order kinetics models can better describe our adsorption equilibrium data. Overall, the KFC/CNT/PVA + Glu ternary blend was found to remove Cu(II) ions more effectively than Cd(II) ions under ideal conditions.