PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-1555

Project financed by UEFISCDI Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation
Host institution: Politehnica University of Timişoara
Project type: Research projects to stimulate young independent teams (TE)
Project code: PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-1555
Project registration number: TE 203 ⁄ 2021
Budget: 431900 Lei
Project title: Integrated concept for Platinum Group Metals recovery by adsorption onto Ionic Liquid-impregnated Layered Double Hydroxides and further reuse as photocatalyst for water treatment.
Acronym:  RE-ADPHOTOCAT

About the project

One of the targets of European Union for 2050 concerning to environment is stipulated in the 7^th Environment Action Programme and refers to the transition towards a green and circular economy. The Circular Economy Action Plan of EU intend to close the loop of product lifecycles trough sustainable consumption and production by improving waste management with greater recycling and re-use in order to create benefits for the environment, the economy and the society. Platinum group metals (PGMs) were identified by the European Commission as part of 27 “critical” raw materials with particular economic importance. To meet the continuously increasing demand for precious metals, the recovery of PGMs from secondary resources is a potential solution; an important issue from scientific, technological, economic and ecological point of view. Therefore, in the RE-ADPHOTOCAT project, the recovery of PGMs from wastewaters by adsorption onto ionic liquids (ILs) impregnated layered double hydroxides (LDHs), will be studied.  This method combines the advantages of the ILs with the valuable properties of the LDHs. The ILs impregnation will carried out in two routes: ultrasonication and co-synthesis (novel method). In order to respond to the EU targets and to create benefits for the environment, economy and society the proposed project will respond to a frequently asked question in adsorption processes treatment: “What happened with the spent adsorbent material?” Therefore, as a novel approach, the spent materials, resulted after adsorption of PGMs from aqueous solutions onto ILs impregnated LDHs (an organic-inorganic composite material), will be reclaimed as photocatalyst material and their perspective catalyst properties will be determined in the degradation processes of various undesirable compounds from wastewaters. 

Project team

Lavinia LUPA - Principal investigator (CV)
Laura COCHECI - experienced researcher (CV)
Radu LAZĂU - experienced researcher (CV)
Samuel Nick ȚOLEA – PhD student (CV)
Ionuț Robert Cristian BĂLESCU – Master student (CV)

Project workplan

2021

2022

2023

Results and dissemination

2021

• Aquirements

1. Pd and Pt lamps for atomic adsorption spectrophotometer – 4760 Lei
2. UV-VIS lamps for photoreactor – 11900 lei
3. Pd and Pt standards – 8.084,74 Lei
4. Reagents and laboratory glasses and consumables – 33.598,22 Lei
5. Consumables for SEM, TEM and RX – 13.107,08 Lei
    

• Paper presentation

1. Ionuț Cristian BĂLESCU, Roxana PREHARI, Nick Samuel ȚOLEA, Lavinia LUPA, Laura COCHECI, Utilizarea adsorbanților epuizați, rezultați în urma tratării prin adsorbție a apelor cu conținut de Pd, ca fotocatalizatori, APA - ESENȚA VIEȚII (AquaSensTim) Simpozion on-line, 22 martie 2021, Timișoara, Locul I;
2. Samuel Nick Țolea, Ionuț Cristian Bălescu, Lavinia Lupa, Laura Cocheci, Rodica Pode, IL FUNCTIONALIZED Mg₃Al-LDH AS NEW EFFICIENT ADSORBENT MATERIALS FOR THE RECOVERY OF Pd IONS FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS, 11^th International Conference on Environmental Engineering and Management, 8-10.09.2021, Muttenz, Elveția;
3. Lavinia Lupa, Laura Cocheci, Radu Lazau, Anca Filimon, Petru Negrea, Applying of modified materials with ionic liquids in advanced water treatment technologies, International Meet & Expo on Materials Science and Nanomaterials (MATERIALSMEET2021), 11.10.2021, Valencia, Spania (on-line);
4. Nick Samuel Tolea, Lavinia Lupa, Radu Lazau, Laura Cocheci, PALLADIUM RECOVERY BY ADSORPTION ONTO IONIC LIQUID-IMPREGNATED LAYERED DOUBLE HYDROXIDES, 27^th International Symposium on Analytical and Environmental Problems (ISAEP 2021), 22-23.11.2021, Szeged, Ungaria (on-line)
    

• Published papers

1. Samuel Nick Țolea, Laura Cocheci, Lavinia Lupa, Rodica Pode, Development of new efficient adsorbent by functionalization of Mg₃Al-LDH with methyl trialkyl ammonium chloride ionic liquid, Molecules, Molecules 26 (23), 7384, 2021

• Other

1. Ionuț Robert Cristian Bălescu elaborated and supported the master thesis, entitled “RECUPERAREA IONILOR DE Pd DIN SOLUȚII APOASE PRIN ADSORBȚIE PE Zn₃Al-LDH FUNCȚIONALIZAT CU LICHID IONIC” under the supervision of Lavinia Lupa
2. Lavinia Lupa also coordinated the bachelor thesis entitled “UTILIZAREA HIDROXIDULUI DUBLU STRATI-FICAT Mg₃Al-LDH FUNCTIONALIZAT CU LI-CHID IONIC LA REȚINEREA Pd DIN APA” elaborated by Roxana Prehari.

2022

• Aquirements

1. Supports for UV-VIS lamps for photoreactor  – 7497 lei
2. Manual press for materials pelletizing with 3 dies - 3266,55 lei
3. Reagents - 17182,83 Lei
4. Laboratory supplies – 5700 lei

• Presented papers

1. N.S. Țolea, L. Lupa, L. Cocheci, New photocatalyst obtained through Pd adsorption onto ionic lichid functionalized layered double hydroxide. 12th International Conference on Materials Science & Engineering - BraMat, Brașov, România, Facultatea de Știința și Ingineria Materialelor, March 9-12, 2022, (oral, on-line).
2. N.S Țolea, L. Cocheci, L. Lupa, R. Lazau, R. Pode, Recovery of palladium ions from aqueous solutions on efficient adsorbents materials Mg3Al LDH functionalized with methyl trialkyl ammonium chloride. New Trends And Strategies In The Chemistry Of Advanced Materials With Relevance In Biological Systems, Technique And Environmental Protection, Timişoara, România October 20-21, 2022 (poster, live).
3. N.S Țolea, L. Lupa, R. Lazau, L. Cocheci, IL-functionalized layered double hydroxide: synthesis, characterisation and application as adsorbent materials for palladium recover. 28th International Symposium on Analytical and Environmental Problems - ISAEP, Szeged, Hungary, University of Szeged, November 14-15, 2022, (oral, on-line).
    

• Papers sent for publication

1. L Cocheci, L Lupa, NS Tolea, R Lazău, R Pode, IL-Functionalized Mg₃Al-LDH as New Efficient Adsorbent for Pd Recovery from Aqueous Solutions, International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23 (16), 9107, 2022;
2. L. Lupa, L. Cocheci, A.M. Dobos, M.D. Onofrei, P. Negrea, A. Filimon, Metal ions removal from contaminated water using membranes functionalized with ionic liquids, Water-2066931 (under evaluation)
3. L. Lupa, N.S. Țolea, R. Lazau, L. Cocheci, Batch and Fixed-Bed Column Studies for Platinum Recovery for reuse as photocatalyst, International Journal of Molecular Sciences – 1968837 (under evaluation)
4. N.S. Tolea, L. Lupa, L. Cocheci, Photocatalytic Degradation of Diclofenac by ionic liquid functionalized Mg₃Al-LDH loaded with Pd, Catalysts - 12061638 (under evaluation)

• Other

1. Book Chapter - Lavinia Lupa, Laura Cochechi,  Heavy metals removal from water and wastewaters, Heavy Metals - Recent Advances, IntechOpen, (ISBN 978-1-83768-515-8), 2022 – (under evaluation)
2. Lavinia Lupa coordinated the diploma paper “ HIDROXIZI DUBLI STRATIFICAȚI DE TIP Mg₃Al, RESPECTIV Zn₃Al – SINTEZĂ, FUNCȚIONALIZARE ȘI APLICARE CA MATERIALE ADSORBANTE” by student Cosmina Pervu.

2023

• Papers sent for publication

1. L. Lupa, N.S. Țolea, R. Lazau, L. Cocheci, Synthesis, characterization, and efficient applications of ionic liquids-functionalized layered double hydroxides in the adsorption process of precious metals from aqueous solutions, Separation and Purification Technology, SEPPUR-D-23-00012 (under evaluation)

• Patent request

1. Procedeu de recuperare și revalorificare a platinei din soluții apoase reziduale
   L. Lupa, L. Cocheci, N.S. Țolea, R. Lazău
   Cerere de brevet de invenție, OSIM: A/00056 din 08.02.2023.

• Final Report excerpt

Contact:

Politehnica University of Timisoara
Faculty of Industrial Chemistry and Environmental Engineering
P-ta Victoriei No.2, Timisoara 300006,
Tel. 0040-256-404159
 

lavinia.lupa@upt.ro