Converting polyolefin fibres into CO2 adsorbent by radiation induced grafting

Abstract

Polyethylene (PE)/polypropylene (PP) bicomponent fibres were converted into three types of CO2 adsorbents by radiation induced graft copolymerization (RIGC) of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and N-vinylformamide (NVF) followed by treatment of poly(GMA) grafted fibres with polyethyleneimine (PEI) or ethylenediamine (EDA) and poly(NVF) grafted counterpart with hydrolysis to yield grafted poly(vinylamine) poly(VAm). The incorporation of poly(GMA) having same degree of grafting (DG%) and their subsequently aminated samples were verified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The performance of the three adsorbents was evaluated with pure CO2 and N2 gases and their mixtures of different ratios. The adsorbent with PEI showed CO2 adsorption capacity of 1.03 mmol/g, which was increased to 1.43 mmol/g when it was substituted with EDA, whereas this value was raised to 1.69 mmol/g in the adsorbent containing poly(VAm) at 30 bar and room temperature. Such CO2 adsorption capacity values were decreased when CO2/N2 mixtures were adsorbed, and the decrease was more profound at lower CO2 content in all adsorbents, but the performance of poly(VAm)-containing adsorbent remained superior. It can be concluded that RIGC provides a versatile method to convert PE/PP fibres into highly selective CO2 adsorbents with NVF grafting route is simpler and yield more efficient adsorbent for CO2 capture.

Keywords

• PE/PP fibrous sheet
• Grafting reactions
• Amination treatment
• CO2 selective adsorption
• Air pollution

References

1. Jang KS (2018) Exploring polyethylene/polypropylene nonwoven fabrics derived from two-dimensionally co-extruded composites: Effects of delamination, consolidation, drawing and nanoparticle incorporation on mechanics, pore size and permeability, Composites Sci Technol 165: 380-387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2018.07.022
2. Tourzani AA, Hormozi F, Asadollahzadeh M, Torkaman R (2023) Effective­CO2 capture by using poly(acrylonitrile) nanofibers based on the radiation grafting procedure in fixed‑bed adsorption column. Sci Rep 13: 6173. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33036-y
3. Ishihara R, Asai S, Saito K (2020) Recent progress in charged polymer chains grafted by radiation-induced graft polymerization: adsorption of proteins and immobilization of inorganic precipitates. Quantum Beam Sci 4: 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/qubs4020020
4. Bhattacharya A, Misra BN (2004) Grafting: a versatile means to modify polymers, Techniques, factors and applications, Prog Polym Sci 29: 767-814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2004.05.002
5. Zubair NA, Nasef MM, Mohamad NA, Abouzari-Lotf E, Ting TM, Abdullah EC (2020) Kinetic studies of radiation induced grafting of N-vinylformamide onto polyethylene/polypropylene fibrous sheets and testing its hydrolysed copolymer for CO2 adsorption. Radiat Phys Chem 171: 108727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2020.108727
6. Zubair, NA, Moawia, RM, Nasef MM, Hubbe M, Zakeri M (2022) A critical review on natural fibers modifications by graft copolymerization for wastewater treatment, J Polym Environ 30: 1199-1227. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-021-02269-1
7. Nasef MM, Ting TM, Abbasi A, Layeghi-moghaddam A, Sara Alinezhad S, Hashim K (2016) Radiation grafted adsorbents for newly emerging environmental application. Rad Phys Chem 118: 55-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2015.02.025
8. Rezaei F, Mosca A, Webley P, Hedlund J, Xiao P (2010) Comparison of traditional and structured adsorbents for CO2 separation by vacuum swing adsorption, Ind Eng Chem Res 49: 4832 - 4841. http://doi.org/10.1021/ie9016545.

9. Dong D, Wang Y, Wen D, Peng J, Zhao L, Zhai M (2022) Recent progress in environmental applications of functional adsorbent prepared by radiation techniques: A review. J Hazard Mater 424: 126887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126887
10. Nasef MM, Guven O (2012) Radiation-grafted copolymers for separation and purification purposes: status, challenges and future directions, Prog Polym Sci 37: 1597-1656. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2012.07.004
11. Torkaman R, Maleki F, Gholami M, Torab-Mostaedi M, Asadollahzadeh M (2021) Assessing the radiation-induced graft polymeric adsorbents with emphasis on heavy metals removing: A systematic literature review, J Water Process Eng 44: 102371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2021.102371
12. Mohamad NA, Nasef MM, Nia PM, et al (2021) Tetraethylenepentamine-containing adsorbent with optimized amination efficiency based on grafted polyolefin microfibrous substrate for CO2 adsorption. Arab J Chem 14:103067. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arabjc.2021.103067
13. Abbasi A, Nasef MM, Faridi-Majidi R, et al (2018) Highly flexible method for fabrication of poly (Glycidyl Methacrylate) grafted polyolefin nanofiber. Rad Phys Chem 151: 283-291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2018.07.002
14. Abbasi A, Nasef MM, Babadi FE, Faridi-Majidi R, Takeshi M, Abouzari-Lotf E, Choong T, Somwangthanaroj A, Kheawhom (2019) Carbon Dioxide Adsorption on Grafted Nanofibrous Adsorbents Functionalized Using Different Amines. Front Energy Res 7: 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2019.00145
15. Abbasi A, Nasef MM, Kheawhom S, Faridi-Majidi R, Takeshi M, Abouzari-Lotf E, Choong T (2019) Amine functionalized radiation induced grafted polyolefin nanofibers for CO2 adsorption. Rad Phys Chem 156: 58-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2018.10.015
16. Imanian Z, Hormozi F, Torab-Mostaedi M, Asadollahzadeh M (2022) Highly selective adsorbent by gamma radiation-induced grafing of glycidyl methacrylate on polyacrylonitrile/polyurethane nanofiber: Evaluation of CO2 capture. Sep Purif Technol: 289, 120749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2022.120749
17. Rojek T, Gubler L, Nasef MM, Abouzari-lotf E (2017) Polyvinylamine containing adsorbent by radiation induced grafting of N-vinylformamide onto UHMWPE films and hydrolysis for CO2 capture. Ind Eng Chem Res 56: 5925-5934. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.7b00862
18. Hidzir, NM, Hill DJT, Martin D, Grondahl L (2012) Radiation-induced grafting of acrylic acid onto expanded poly(tetrafluoroethylene) membranes. Polym 53: 6063–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2012.10.042
19. Afolabi HK, Nasef MM, Nordin NAH, Ting TM, Harun NY, Abbasi A (2021) Facile preparation of fibrous glycidol-containing adsorbent for boron removal from solutions by radiation-induced grafting of poly(vinylamine) and functionalisation. Rad Phys Chem 188: 109596. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2021.109596
20. Ahmed S, Ramli R, Yusup S (2017) Development of polyethylenimine-functionalized mesoporous Si-MCM-41 for CO2 adsorption. Fuel Process Technol 167: 622-630. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuproc.2017.07.036
21. Mafra L, Čendak T, Schneider S, Wiper PV, Pires J, Gomes JRB, Pinto ML (2017) Amine functionalized porous silica for CO2/CH4 separation by adsorption: Which amine and why. Chem Eng J 336: 612–621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2017.12.061
22. Zain G, Babar AA, Iqbala N, Wang X, Yu JY, Ding B (2018) Amine-impregnated porous nanofiber membranes for CO2 capture, Comp Commun 10: 45-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coco.2018.06.005
23. Tourzani AA, Hormozi F, Asadollahzadeh M, Torkaman R (2023) Effective CO2 capture by using poly (acrylonitrile) nanofibers based on the radiation grafting procedure in fixed-bed adsorption column, Sci Reports 13: 6173. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33036-y