# US 11,896,952 B1 · Adsorbent using biowaste and plastic waste for wastewater treatment

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- Number: US 11,896,952 B1
- Document ID: US11896952B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 18/379,374
- Filed: 2023-10-12
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2023-10-12
- Assignees: King Faisal University
- Applicants: King Faisal University
- Inventors: Junaid Saleem; Sk Safdar Hossain; Zubair Khalid Baig Moghal; Gordon McKay
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896952B1

## CPC

- B01J 20/261: {obtained by reactions only involving carbon to carbon unsaturated bonds (macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds per se C08F)}
- B01J 20/20: comprising free carbon; comprising carbon obtained by carbonising processes
- B01J 20/262: {obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon to carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. obtained by polycondensation (macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds per se C08G)}
- B01J 20/28004: {Sorbent size or size distribution, e.g. particle size}
- B01J 20/28016: {Particle form}
- B01J 20/3007: {Moulding, shaping or extruding}
- B01J 20/305: {Addition of material, later completely removed, e.g. as result of heat treatment, leaching or washing, e.g. for forming pores}
- B01J 20/3078: {Thermal treatment, e.g. calcining or pyrolizing}
- B01J 20/3085: {Chemical treatments not covered by groups B01J20/3007 - B01J20/3078}
- C02F 1/288: {using composite sorbents, e.g. coated, impregnated, multi-layered}
- C02F 1/283: {using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them}
- C02F 1/285: {using synthetic organic sorbents}
- C02F 1/286: {using natural organic sorbents or derivatives thereof}
- C02F 2101/308: {Dyes; Colorants; Fluorescent agents}
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)

## Abstract

A method for making an adsorbent composite can include activating dried lemon peel pieces to obtain activated lemon peel pieces; pyrolyzing the activated lemon peel pieces to obtain activated lemon peel char; dissolving at least one polymer in an organic solvent to obtain a polymer solution; dispersing the activated lemon peel char in the polymer solution to obtain a mixture; extracting the organic solvent from the mixture to obtain a composite; and annealing the composite to provide the adsorbent composite.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of making an adsorbent composite from lemon peel and a polymer, the method comprising:
obtaining lemon peels;
cutting and drying the lemon peels to obtain lemon peel pieces;
activating the dried lemon peel pieces to obtain activated lemon peel pieces;
pyrolyzing the activated lemon peel pieces to obtain activated lemon peel chars;
dissolving at least one polymer in an organic solvent to obtain a polymer solution;
dispersing the activated lemon peel chars in the polymer solution to obtain a mixture;
extracting the organic solvent from the mixture to obtain a composite; and
annealing the composite to provide the adsorbent composite.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of making an adsorbent composite of claim 1, wherein the at least one polymer comprises polypropylene.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of making an adsorbent composite of claim 1, wherein the at least one polymer comprises polypropylene and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of making an adsorbent composite of claim 1, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of p-xylene, o-xylene, m-xylene, an isomeric mixture of xylenes, p-cymene, o-cymene, m-cymene, limonene, toluene, mesitylene, other aromatic hydrocarbons, and mixtures thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of making an adsorbent composite of claim 4, wherein the organic solvent is p-xylene.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of making an adsorbent composite of claim 1, further comprising cutting the adsorbent to provide adsorbent flakes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of making an adsorbent composite of claim 6, wherein the adsorbent flakes have sizes ranging from about 3 mm to about 30 mm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of making an adsorbent composite of claim 1, wherein the lemon peels are dried under the sun for about two days or in a hot air oven at a temperature of about 110° C. for about 1 hour to about 2 hours.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of making an adsorbent composite of claim 1, wherein the dried lemon peel pieces are activated by immersing the dried lemon peel pieces in a solution including 2N KOH.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of making an adsorbent composite of claim 1, wherein the activated lemon peel pieces are pyrolyzed at a temperature ranging from about 200° C. to about 1000° C. at a residence time ranging from about 30 minutes to about 5 hours.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of making an adsorbent composite of claim 1, wherein dissolving the at least one polymer in the organic solvent comprises:
heating the organic solvent containing the at least one polymer to a temperature ranging from about 120° C. to about 140° C.; and
stirring the organic solvent containing the at least one polymer for about 20 minutes to about 40 minutes.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of making an adsorbent composite of claim 1, wherein the annealing comprises heating of the composite at a temperature of about 160° C. to about 170° C. for about 2 minutes to about 1 hours.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A method of removing a pollutant from an aqueous solution, comprising contacting the adsorbent composite as prepared in claim 1 with the aqueous solution.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the adsorbent composite is packed in a non-woven porous fabric prior to contacting the aqueous solution.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the aqueous solution comprises wastewater.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the pollutant comprises organic dyes.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the organic dyes are selected from the group consisting of Rhodamine B, Alizarin red, Indigo carmine, Gentian violet, and a mixture thereof.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the organic dyes comprise Gentian violet.