Frequent oil spills and colored industrial effluents with high heavy metal ions content are seeking efficient, environmentally and economically feasible solution approaches. Although various sorbents for removal of such pollutants have been proposed, low efficiency, poor biodegradability and expensive industrial implementation make them insufficiently attractive for massive production.
Nevertheless growing amounts of unexploited post-industrial and post-consumer textile waste are another burning environmental problem which calls for urgent solution. The innovative approach will addresses both environmental issues by recognizing the post-industrial jute waste as a resource and by applying the recycling as the one of the pillars of circular economy model in the production of non-woven sorbents.
The potential application of differently constructed sorbents will bee valuated in three directions. The influence of sorbent construction, jute modification and carbonization on overall oil sorption properties necessary for efficient oil clean-up will be explored. For successful heavy metal ions uptake from water, sorbent will be coated with nanocomposites comprising polymers and various nanomaterials (TiO2 nanotubes and nanoparticles, Fe3O4nanoparticles and g-C3N4nanosheets) and carbonized. Sorption and photodegradation of dyes from water will be provided by g-C3N4nanosheets immobilized on the sorbent.
Taking into consideration that each modification should introduce to sorbent desired functionalities, the fabrication of sorbents with high capacities and good recovery are expected. Obtained results may initiate extensive research in this field, but they can also show high impact on national and regional strategies for utilization of textile waste.
