Vol. 24, No. 2 (2025), IA25486 https://doi.org/10.24275/rmiq/IA25486

Preparation and characterization of a biocomposite for Cr(VI) adsorption by evaluating the useful life of the biomaterial

 

Authors

C. Tejada-Tovar, Á. Villabona-Ortiz, R. Ortega-Toro, N. Beleño-Garrido, L. Sierra-Payares

Abstract

The objective of this work was to prepare and characterize a biocomposite made from plantain pseudo stem (PSP), agro-industrial waste and polylactic acid (PLA) for potential use in removing Cr(VI) from solution. Cellulose (CL) was extracted from the plantain pseudo stem waste and modified with PLA. The effect of adsorbent dosage on adsorption efficiency at different concentrations was evaluated, and an adsorption-desorption study was conducted to determine the biocomposite’s lifetime. FTIR, SEM and TGA-DSC analyses were performed. The results showed that the plant fiber was successfully modified with PLA, resulting in the formation of the PSP/PLA biocomposite. It was observed that the adsorbent dosage affected the adsorption process, with the best removal efficiencies being 51.74% at 65 mg/L and 49.74% at 30 mg/L at an optimal pH of 2. Adsorption-desorption cycles showed that the biocomposite can be reused up to twice. The inherent properties of the plant fiber were critical, and the crosslinking agent enhanced the biomaterial’s performance. This biocomposite shows potential for removing metal contaminants from the solution, thereby contributing to the increased utilization of waste biomass.

Keywords

Polylactic acid, Biocomposite, Cellulose, plantain pseudo stem, Agricultural waste.

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