Enhanced adsorptive composite foams for copper (II) removal utilising bio-renewable polyisoprene-functionalised carbon derived from coconut shell waste.

A bio -renewable polyisoprene obtained from Hevea Brasiliensis was used to produce functionalised carbon composite foam as an adsorbent for heavy metal ions. Functionalised carbon materials (C-SO3H, C-COOH, or C-NH2) derived from coconut shell waste were prepared via a hydrothermal treatment. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the functionalised carbon particles had spherical shapes with rough surfaces. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that the functional groups were successfully functionalised over the carbon surface. The foaming process allowed for the addition of carbon (up to seven parts per hundred of rubber) to the high ammonia natural rubber latex. The composite foams had open pore structures with good dispersion of the functionalised carbon. The foam performance on copper ion adsorption has been investigated with regard to their functional group and adsorption conditions. The carbon foams achieved maximum Cu(II) adsorption at 56.5 mg g foam - 1 for C-SO3H, 55.7 mg g foam - 1 for C-COOH, and 41.9 mg g foam - 1 for C-NH2, and the adsorption behaviour followed a pseudo-second order kinetics model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]