Preparation of melamine formaldehyde/nanozeolite Y composite based on nanosilica extracted from rice husks by sol–gel method: adsorption of lead (II) ion

In the present work nanozeolite Y was prepared from nanosilica powder extracted from rice husks ash by sol–gel method as a green biosource (NZ). Melamine formaldehyde resin (MF) and melamine formaldehyde/nanozeolite Y (MFZ) particles were prepared at pH 9 and 110 °C. NZ, MF, and MFZ were characterized using TGA, SEM, XRD, nitrogen adsorption, pH PZC , and FTIR. Melamine formaldehyde/nanozeolite Y exhibited an advanced textural structure with surface area of 1035.6 m 2 /g and abundance of chemical functional groups. Lead ions adsorption was investigated under different application conditions considering thermodynamic and kinetics studies. The maximum adsorption capacity ( q m , mg/g) was confirmed by MFZ and found to be 180.8 after 60 min of equilibrium time at pH6, 1.0 g/L as adsorbent dosage, and at 40 °C. Lead (II) adsorption onto solid adsorbents fitted with Langmuir adsorption, pseudo-second order, Elovich kinetic, and Vant Hoff’s models. Thermodynamic investigations showed that lead adsorption by all the adsorbents are spontaneous and endothermic.