Fabrication of renewable palm-pruning leaves based nano-composite for remediation of heavy metals pollution

The palm-pruning leaves considered as valuable source for low cost adsorbent materials. Such application, enhance the environmental conditions by reducing the bad effects from un-managed palm-pruning leaves such as spreading insects. Herein, the palm-pruning leaves were treated with by water and acid washing to produce cleaned palm leaves (CPL) and then impregnation with iron(III) chloride and thermally treated to produce palm leaves/iron oxide- nanocomposite (PL/IO-NC). The prepared materials were applied for adsorption of some toxic metal ions from solutions. The original palm-pruning leaves as well as the treated adsorbent were characterized by SEM, EDS, FTIR, XRD. Results showed the formation of spots iron oxide nanoparticles onto the palm-pruning leaves. The efficiency of the treated adsorbent for uptake of Mn(II), Co(II) and Pb(II) was studied in term of kinetic, isotherm and thermodynamic to optimize and evaluate the effectiveness of the palm-pruning leaves treatment. The adsorption data was found to be more comfortable with Second order kinetic-model while the isotherm of Langmuir wasn’t suitable and the adsorption data was in agreement with Freundlich assumption. The values of ΔG° in the range (−5.8 to −3.5 kJ/mol) for Mn(II), (−4.2 to −2.1 kJ/mol) for Co(II), (−3.4 to −2.3 kJ/mol) for Pb(II), confirm the confirm the spontaneous and physical nature of the adsorption process.