BUKU ABSTRAK - Universiti Putra Malaysia

Improvement on Kenaf-ecoflex Interactions in Green Composite
Keywords: Textile wastewater, zeolite, heavy metals, alum
Dr. Nor Azowa Ibrahim
Khalina Abdan, Kamarul Arifin Hadithon and Khairul Zaman Mohd. Dahlan
Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products, University Putra Malaysia,
43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
+603-8946 6802; norazowa@science.upm.edu.my
Keywords: Kenaf fiber, biodegradable, biocomposites, mechanical properties
Removal of Heavy Metals from Textile Wastewater using Zeolite
Dr. Normala Halimoon
Rachel Goh Soo Yin
Faculty of Environmental Studies, University Putra Malaysia,
43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
+603-8946 6743; hmala@env.upm.edu.my
95
Forestry & Environment
New green composite has been developed using whole stem kenaf fiber (WSK) and Ecoflex (biodegradable
thermoplastic) using melt blending technique. The composites were prepared using different fiber loadings (10%,
20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%) and the fiber was treated with various concentrations of NaOH solution by soaking
for three hours. The compounding of composites was carried out by using Brabender internal mixer at 130oC
for 10 min. The composites were then pressed using compression molding to produce biodegradable Ecoflex/
WSK sheets. The 60:40 Ecoflex/WSK composites using 4%NaOH treated WSK fiber improved the tensile and
flexural strength compared to untreated WSK fiber indicating good adhesion between treated WSK fiber and
Ecoflex. The DMA analysis also supports the finding since the storage modulus of the composites increase with
the increasing of the fibre loading. The SEM micrographs of the fracture surface of tensile test also reveal good
adhesion between WSK and Ecoflex. The FTIR and thermal gravimetric analysis showed that alkali treatment
removes and lignin from WSK fiber surface making the surface rough thus improved interaction.
Heavy metals such as lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) are widely used for
production of colour pigments of textile dyes. Textile dyes pollutants are being released to the environment at
various stages of operation therefore it is necessary that the pollutants are treated before discharge using zeolite
with and without alum. A study was carried out to compare the effectiveness of treatment using zeolite with and
without alum for the removal of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Cd, Cr) in textile effluent. The concentrations of these
heavy metals in the textile wastewater samples were reduced to more than 50 percent after treating with zeolite.
The sequence in increasing order of removal efficiency of these heavy metals using zeolite was Cd < Pb < Cr
< Cu. When the textile wastewater sample was treated using zeolite and 10 mg/L of alum, 80% of the heavy
metals (Cd and Cu) were removed. The most effective treatment prior to removal of heavy metals from textile
wastewater sample is by using zeolite with the addition of 10 mg/L of alum as flocculants.