Sorption behavior of Co-radionuclides from radioactive waste solution on graphene enhanced by immobilized sugarcane and carboxy methyl cellulose

Abstract Novel graphene-sugarcane bagasse-carboxy methyl cellulose (GSCCMC) nanocomposite have been synthesized via freeze-drying technique after preparation of graphene from natural graphite by modified Hummer method and evaluated as adsorbent for sorption of 60Co(II)-radionuclides from radioactive waste solution and real wastewater samples using a series of batch adsorption experiments and compared with graphene. The synthesized (GSCCMC) nanocomposite was characterized using Fourier transformer infrared (FT-IR), Transmission electron microscope (TEM), Thermal analysis, Elemental analysis, Specific Surface area (SBET) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), which confirmed the successful formation of graphene-sugarcane bagasse-carboxy methyl cellulose (GSCCMC) nanocomposite. Different parameters affecting the removal process including pH, contact time and metal ion concentration were investigated. Isotherm and kinetic models were studied. Adsorption kinetics described well by pseudo-second-order. The Langmuir model provides a better fitting than the Freundlich and Temkin models and the maximum adsorption capacity from Langmuir model were found to be 0.4186 and 0.2424 mol/g for (GSCCMC) nanocomposite and graphene (G), respectively. From Dubinin–Radushkevich (D–R) isotherm model, the sorption energy (E)-values of graphene (G) and (GSCCMC) are 10.16 and 10.564 kJ/mol, respectively and this mean the adsorption of 60Co(II)-radionuclides can be explained by chemisorption process, which is characteristic of ion exchange. Desorption of 60Co(II)-radionuclides from loaded (GSCCMC) nanocomposite was studied using different eluents (0.1 M HCl, 0.1 M NaOH and H2O). The data illustrated that 0.1 M HCl solution showed maximum desorption percent (D%) than other eluents. The economic viability of the adsorption process for the removal of 60Co(II) from wastewater samples was studied. The result indicated that the cost for preparation of (GSCCMC) nanocomposite is lower than for (GSCCMC) nanocomposite that prepared from purchase the graphene powder. Therefore, the synthesized (GSCCMC) nanocomposite was used as regenerated material for sorption of 60Co(II)-radionuclides from aqueous solutions and can be used for many times as a cost-effective and environmental friendly material in wastewater treatment.