Hydrophobic poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) and nanoclay-based polymeric adsorbent for effective removal of oils and various organic solvents from contaminated wastewater

Abstract

In this novel attempt to enhance the removal of oils and organic solvents from wastewater, making water safer and cleaner for use, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate was blended with organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) nanoclay following a green pathway by melt blending in a Brabender plasticoder. The prepared nanocomposites exhibited excellent adsorption capacity for various oils and organic solvents. To further increase the adsorption capacity of the nanocomposites, NaCl was added as a porogen in the melt mixing process, followed by the leaching of NaCl in water to generate a highly porous nanocomposite material. The adsorption tests revealed excellent efficiency, with an adsorption capacity of 40 g g⁻¹ in dichloromethane (DCM), 11 g g⁻¹ in gasoline, and 5 g g⁻¹ in crude oil. The nanocomposites demonstrated excellent recycling capability and could be reused for more than 30 adsorption–desorption cycles. FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TEM analyses were conducted to delineate the structure and morphology of the nanocomposite.