High-efficiency Hg(II) adsorbent: FeS loaded on a carbon black from pyrolysis of waste tires and sequential reutilization as a photocatalyst

Iron-sulfur nano compounds have been proven to be effective in mercury removal, but the agglomeration, poor dispersion and mobility, and easy oxidation challenges limit their application. Herein, carbon black originating from pyrolysis of waste tires was used as a carrier of nano-FeS to obtain an efficient adsorbent (C@PDA-FeS). It is found that the C@PDA-FeS shows outstanding adsorption ability, excellent selectivity, and high removal rate. A maximum adsorption capacity of 1754 mg/g is obtained, and the residual Hg(II) ion concentration is as low as 3.2 μg/L in the simulated industrial wastewater, which meets the industrial discharge standard under the optimal conditions. Meanwhile, the removal rate of Hg(II) ion can reach 99.8% after up to 10 cycles. More importantly, the C@PDA-FeS still shows good adsorption efficiency, and the removal rate of Hg(II) ion is over 99% (25 mg/L Hg(II) concentration) after 90 days of storage, demonstrating the long-term stability and promising future of the adsorbent. In addition, the waste adsorbent (C@PDA-FeS/HgS) is reused as a photocatalyst to degrade methylene blue, and the corresponding degradation rate is 92.9% (10 mg/L).