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Synthesis of Activated Carbon from PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) Plastic Waste with Fe3O4 Composite as Adsorbent for Methylene Blue
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Scientists turned old plastic bottles into a special charcoal-like material that can soak up dye pollution from water, then made it magnetic so it can be easily pulled out with a magnet afterward. This matters because it offers a way to both recycle plastic waste and clean up contaminated water — tackling two environmental problems at once, though this early-stage lab study still needs more testing before it could be used to treat real-world drinking water supplies.
The purpose of this research is to produce an activated carbon composite from PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) plastic waste combined with Fe₃O₄ for methylene blue dye wastewater treatment. Activated carbon was produced by carbonizing PET plastic, followed by physical activation at 850°C for 25 minutes and chemical activation by soaking in 4M KOH for 2 hours. Activated carbon–Fe₃O₄ composite ware was synthesized by coprecipitation with mass ratios of 1:1 (composite 1), 3:2 (composite 2), and 2:1 (composite 3). XRD and SEM were used to analyze the activated carbon, and the best-performing composite was further characterized by XRD and SEM-EDX mapping. The composite contains a crystalline phase, likely originating from Fe₃O₄. The composite's morphology consists of fine, high-surface-area particles. The detection of Fe and O peaks in the elemental analysis verified the existence of Fe₃O₄ within the sample. The highest adsorption capacity was achieved by composite 2, reaching 3.244 mg/g under optimum conditions at pH 7 for 30 minutes, and was best fit by the pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetic model. The synthesis of the activated carbon–Fe₃O₄ composite enhances the adsorption capacity for methylene blue and facilitates separation using an external magnet.
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