Adsorption of Cationic Contaminants by Cyclodextrin Nanosponges Cross-Linked with 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic Acid and Poly(vinyl alcohol)

Cationic organic pollutants (dyes and pesticides) are mainly hydrosoluble and easily contaminate water and create a serious problem for biotic and abiotic species. The elimination of these dangerous contaminants from water was accomplished by adsorption using cyclodextrin nanosponges. These nanosponges were elaborated by the cross-linking between 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid and β-cyclodextrin in the presence of poly (vinyl alcohol). Their physicochemical characteristics were characterized by gravimetry, acid-base titration, TGA, 13C NMR, ATR-FTIR, Raman, X-ray diffraction, and Stereomicroscopy. The BP5 nanosponges displayed 68.4% yield, 3.31 mmol/g COOH groups, 0.16 mmol/g β-CD content, 54.2% swelling, 97.0% PQ removal, 96.7% SO removal, and 98.3% MG removal for 25 mg/L of initial concentration. The pseudo-second-order model was suitable for kinetics using 180 min of contact time. Langmuir isotherm was suitable for isotherm with the maximum adsorption of 120.5, 92.6, and 64.9 mg/g for paraquat (PQ), safranin (SO), and malachite green (MG) adsorption, respectively. Finally, the reusability performance after five regeneration times reached 94.1%, 91.6%, and 94.6% for PQ, SO, and MG adsorption, respectively.

Biodegradation of cellulose fibers functionalized with CuO/Cu2O nanoparticles in combination with polycarboxylic acids

Sustainable biodegradation of cellulose fibers is critical for composting after the end of a product’s life. In this study, we aimed at investigating the effect of in situ synthesized CuO/Cu2O nanoparticles (NPs) with biocidal concentration on the biodegradation behavior of cotton fibers pretreated with 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) and succinic acid (SUC). Biodegradation of the fibers was evaluated by soil burial tests in garden soil and in model compost after different soil burial times. The results showed that the application of BTCA, SUC, and CuO/Cu2O NPs did not affect the hydrophilicity of the samples and allowed a smooth biodegradation process. The morphological and chemical changes during biodegradation, evaluated by FESEM and FTIR analyses, showed that the presence of CuO/Cu2O NPs slightly hindered biodegradation of the fibers after 18 days in soil. However, biodegradation was much faster in the model compost, where all samples, regardless of their chemical modification, almost completely degraded after only 11 days. Intense microbial growth on the surface of all samples after nine days of burial in garden soil and model compost was confirmed by the presence of proteins produced by the microorganisms. The total number of microorganisms in the garden soil remained almost unchanged and increased in the model compost after the burial test. The only exception was the sample with the highest concentration of CuO/Cu2O NPs, which caused a reduction in microbial growth but not complete growth inhibition. These results clearly showed that during material degradation, the cellulosic material supporting microbial growth prevailed over the suppression of microbial growth by CuO/Cu2O NPs.

Multifunctional modified cotton fabric by one-step process using eco-friendly phytic acid and 1, 2, 3, 4-butanetetracarboxylic acid

PurposeCotton is one of the most common nature textile fiber that is widely used in clothing, bedding and decorative fields due to its comfort. However, the cellulosic cotton fiber has its own drawbacks. Cotton fiber belongs to flammable material with the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value about 18% that restricts its applications. Cotton fiber is easy to crease during the repeat wearing and laundering process that will influence the wearability. Therefore, it is very important to improve the flame retardancy and anticrease performance of cotton fabric.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, flame retardant and anticrease multifunctional modifications of cotton fabric were conducted by one-step pad–dry–cure process using eco-friendly phytic acid and 1, 2, 3, 4-butanetetracarboxylic acid.FindingsThe results of limited oxygen index (LOI) values and vertical burning test indicate that the flame retardancy of modified cotton fabric was greatly improved. The LOI value of modified cotton fabric reached 30.8% when the usage of phytic acid was 12%. The crease recovery angle was over 250° of the modified cotton fabric revealing good anticrease performance.Originality/valueThis research provides a novel feasible cost-effective one-step method for the multifunctional modified cellulosic fiber using eco-friendly chemical agents.

Improving the Dyeability and Anti-Wrinkle Properties of Cotton Fabric via Oxidized Raffinose

In the anti-wrinkle finishing of cotton fabrics, the decreased dyeability of the finished fabrics has always been a difficult problem. A new anti-wrinkle finishing mode was developed to solve this problem by changing the finishing sequence of fabric dyeing and anti-wrinkle. In this research, the partial oxidization of raffinose with sodium periodate generated multiple aldehydes, which acted as multifunctional cross-linkers and endowed cotton fabrics with anti-wrinkle and hydrophilic properties. The structural characteristics of oxyRa were analyzed by FTIR and 13C-NMR. Through response surface methodology (RSM), the finishing model of oxyRa was established from the influencing factors of catalyst concentration, pH, curing temperature and time, and the optimized finishing process: the catalyst concentration was 20.12 g/L, pH was 4.32, curing temperature was 150 °C and curing time was 120 s. Under this condition, the predicted wrinkle recovery angle (WRA) of the finished fabric was up to 249.76°, Tensile strength (TS) was 75.62%, Whiteness index (WI) was 70.69. Importantly, comparing the anti-wrinkle and dyeing performance of the fabric with anti-wrinkle and then dyeing and anti-wrinkle after dyeing, the oxyRa-treated fabrics showed better dyeing properties compared with previously reported dimethyldihydroxyethylene urea (DMDHEU), glutaraldehyde (GA), and 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA). Analysis of the combined mechanism of different finishing agents and cellulose, demonstrated the reason why oxyRa can be used to change the order of dyeing and anti-wrinkle finishing.

Simultaneous Removal of Inorganic and Organic Pollutants from Polycontaminated Wastewaters on Modified Hemp-Based Felts

In this study, an adsorption process using hemp-based materials in felt form was applied to remove between 45 and 53 contaminants present in wastewater from the surface treatment industry. Several materials were compared using batch experiments, including a felt made of 100% hemp fiber (HEMP), the same felt cross-linked with 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (HEMPBA), a felt coated with a maltodextrin-1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic cross-linked polymer (HEMPM), and a felt coated with hydroxypropyl-a-cyclodextrin-1,2,3,4-butanetetra-carboxylic cross-linked polymer (HEMPCD). Chemical analysis showed that HEMPBA, HEMPM and HEMPCD materials had high adsorption capacities on metals in wastewater, confirming the role of carboxylic groups. Only HEMPCD was able to remove both metals and organics, resulting in the virtual elimination of organics such as chloroform, 1,2-dichlorobenzene, and nonylphenol. This result demonstrated the important role of cyclodextrin molecules in adsorption mechanism. HEMPCD also resulted in an important decrease in residual chemical oxygen demand and total organic carbon of more than 83% and 53%, respectively, while the treatment with HEMP lowered them by 12% and 12%, HEMPBA by 9% and 7%, and HEMPM by 45% and 26%. Chemical abatement and toxicity mitigation have demonstrated that adsorption onto a non-conventional material could be an interesting treatment step for the detoxification of wastewater.

Synthesis of a phosphoramidate flame retardant and its flame retardancy on cotton fabrics

A phosphoramidate flame retardant (dimethyl N,N-bis(2-hydroxyletheyl)phosphoramidate, DMBHP) was synthesized and applied to cotton fabrics for enhancing the flame retardancy. The structure of DMBHP was characterized by FT-IR and NMR. The flame retardancy and combustion behavior of the treated cotton fabrics were evaluated using the vertical flammability test (VFT), limiting oxygen index (LOI), and the cone calorimetric test. Moreover, to further analyze the flame retardant action of DMBHP in cotton fabrics, thermal degradability of the treated fabrics, as well as the chemical structure, surface morphology, and element contents of the char residue of the DMBHP-treated fabrics were also evaluated. The results show that, after treating with DMBHP, the cotton fabrics acquired a LOI value from 18.1 to 31.1 with the concentration increasing to 30% and self-extinguished in VFT tests when treated with up to 15% DMBHP. Besides, the total heat release and the peak heat release rate of DMBHP (30%)-treated fabric decreased obviously compared with the pure cotton along with more residue retained. TG, SEM, and EDS results of treated cotton fabric and the corresponding residue after burning showed that DMBHP has the capability of enhancing char formation. In addition, DMBHP will confer cotton fabrics a certain durability against washing with the help of 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) and citric acid (CA).

Wrinkle recovery angle enhancement and tensile strength loss of 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid finished lyocell fabrics

The formaldehyde-free crease-proof finishing agent 1,2,3,4,-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) was used to treat lyocell fabrics. The effects of BTCA concentration and curing temperature on the wrinkle recovery angle (WRA) and tensile breaking strength of lyocell fabrics were discussed. The results showed that with the increase of BTCA concentration and curing temperature, the WRA value of lyocell fabrics increased obviously and the maximum WRA reached 147°, but breaking strength decreased gradually and the minimum strength retention was 68%. The WRA was durable against laundering. The fabric whiteness difference was not obvious and the whiteness retention of all samples exceeded 98%. After further alkali treatment, the WRA of the treated lyocell fabrics decreased and the fracture strength retention recovered to varying degrees (0.45–10.8%). The developed regression equations were found to be in good correlation ( r2 > 92%) with the selected variables (tensile strength, BTCA concentration, curing temperature). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed that the tensile strength loss of BTCA-treated lyocell fabrics was caused by cross-linking of cellulose molecules and acid degradation. Tensile strength loss that resulted from ester bonding could be restored after hydrolysis in alkaline solution. The recoverable magnitude of tensile strength was related to the curing temperature. A high temperature not only promoted the cross-linking of cellulose macromolecules, but also accelerated the acid degradation of cellulose.