Investigation of furfural removal from aqueous solutions using modified nanoclay with nZVI nanoparticles by the green synthesize: Isotherm, kinetics and recovery study

Furfural is one of the industrial pollutants, and uncontrolled discharge of it into the receiving water bodies of industrial wastewater can cause various problems for the ecosystems downstream of these receiving streams. At present, nanoscale metals are mainly synthesized by chemical methods with unintended effects such as environmental pollution, large energy consumption, and potential health problems. Green synthesis is more beneficial than traditional chemical synthesis because it costs less, reduces pollution, and enhances environmental and human health safety. This research was conducted to remove furfural from aqueous solutions using modified nanoclay with zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nC/nZVI) in a batch reactor. Additionally, XRF, FTIR, and FE-SEM analysis were performed to identify the properties of the nanoparticles. The adsorption of furfural was measured with a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 278 nm. The efficiency of furfural removal has a direct and inverse relationship with the adsorbent dose and furfural concentration, respectively. The obtained results showed a better fit with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm (R ²  = 0.9885). nC/nZVI could be regenerated and reused for several cycles, and after five recovery stages, 46.1% of the spent adsorbent was recoverable under optimal circumstances. Overall, the results demonstrated that locally modified nanoclay containing nZVI nanoparticles can be an effective natural adsorbent for furfural removal in comparison to other adsorbents.