US 11,807,554 B2
Method for removing organic pollutants from contaminated water using polystyrene-carbon nanofiber composition made from post-consumer waste
Tawfik Abdo Saleh Awadh, Dhahran (SA); and Nadeem Baig, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Dec. 6, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/211,775.
Prior Publication US 2020/0180978 A1, Jun. 11, 2020
Int. Cl. C02F 1/28 (2023.01); C08J 11/26 (2006.01); C08J 3/205 (2006.01); C08K 7/04 (2006.01); C02F 101/32 (2006.01); C08K 3/04 (2006.01)
CPC C02F 1/288 (2013.01) [C08J 3/2053 (2013.01); C08J 11/26 (2013.01); C08K 7/04 (2013.01); C02F 2101/322 (2013.01); C02F 2101/325 (2013.01); C02F 2101/327 (2013.01); C02F 2305/08 (2013.01); C08J 2325/06 (2013.01); C08K 3/04 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for purifying an aqueous solution, the method comprising:
passing the aqueous solution, comprising a hydrophobic organic substance, over or through a surface comprising a polystyrene-carbon nanofiber (CNF) composition, thereby producing an aqueous product comprising less of the hydrophobic organic substance,
wherein a polystyrene of the polystyrene-CNF comprises post-consumer waste collapsed polystyrene foam,
wherein a CNF of the polystyrene-CNF is associated with the polystyrene by sonicating a mixture of the CNF and the polystyrene in softened or collapsed form,
wherein the post-consumer waste polystyrene is contaminated with sugar, starch, protein, nucleic acid, lipid, other food component, paint, ink, dye paper, or non-polystyrene plastic contaminant, in a range of from 0.001 and 5 wt. %.