Functionalization of cellulose pentamine as a promising nano-amorphous sorbent for Zr(IV) and Hf(IV) ions recovery

Due to the rising worldwide need for commercial zirconium and hafnium metals, various research studies have been conducted to investigate their extraction from ores and recovery from other waste products. By chorinating cellulose and then aminating it with tetraethylene pentamine, a cellulose-tetraethylene pentamine (Cell-TEPA) nanosorbent was synthesized, which resulted in active groups responsible for binding processes with the appropriate metal ions using a straightforward approach. The composition, chemical characteristics, and physical attributes of the Cell-TEPA nanosorbent were comprehensively examined using a range of equipment, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope–energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM–EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). When bound to the Cell-TEPA nanosorbent, Zr(IV) and Hf(IV) exhibited the highest absorption capacities of 70.4 and 38.2 mg/g, respectively. The most favourable sorption conditions were achieved with a feed solution pH of 1.5, a stirring period of 45 min, a metal ion concentration of 100 mg/L, and room temperature (25 ± 2°C). The adsorption data were consistent with both the Langmuir isothermal model and the pseudo-2nd-order reaction model. The Cell-TEPA nanosorbent effectively extracted zirconium and hafnium ions from leach liquors derived from Wadi Rahba ore sample and Abu Khashaba concentrate sample, demonstrating their potential for future applications.