The Department of Chemistry Discusses a Master’s Thesis on the Preparation of Chitosan-Zeolite/Mordenite Hydrogel

Discussion of a Master’s Thesis

The Chemistry Department at the College of Education for Pure Sciences at the University of Karbala discussed a master’s thesis entitled (Preparation of chitosan-zeolite/mordenite hydrogel and study of its adsorption on anionic and cationic dyes) by the student (Ghassan Abbas Alwan), and under the supervision of (Prof. Dr. Hamida Eidan Salman), (Prof. Dr. Asim Alaa Abdel Hussein).
The aim of the thesis was to prepare new polymeric materials using chitosan hydrogel and zeolite ZCS, characterize them using several techniques (XRD, SEM, FT-IR), and study this ZCS polymer in the adsorption of Congo red and methylene blue dyes. The letter included experimental data for the study. The chitosan-zeolite polymer removed Congo red dye at a high percentage and methylene blue with good efficiency from chitosan alone. Dynamic analysis showed the spontaneity of the reaction for the absorption of Congo red dye by the ZCS compound. The process was accompanied by a decrease in entropy and is endothermic.
The letter recommended conducting extensive studies on ways to modify chitosan-zeolite compounds to obtain a high ability to remove pollutants in ways that are safer for the environment due to the high level of pollution with chemicals, and studying the possibility of preparing and using new surfaces using materials that adsorb anionic and cationic compounds at the same time and increase their adsorption efficiency. The student got excellent grade.