Silica Gel Impregnated by Deep Eutectic Solvents for Adsorptive Removal of BTEX from Gas Streams

Abstract

The paper presents the preparation of new adsorbents based on silica gel (SiO2) impregnated with deep eutectic solvents (DESs) to increase benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and p-xylene (BTEX) adsorption efficiency from gas streams. The DESs were synthesized by means of choline chloride, tetrapropylammonium bromide, levulinic acid, lactic acid, and phenol. The physico-chemical properties of new sorbent materials, including surface morphology and structures, as well as porosity, were studied by means of thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. The effect of DESs type, flow rate, and initial concentration of BTEX were also investigated followed by regeneration and reusability of adsorbents. The results indicate that SiO2 impregnated with tetrapropylammonium bromide and lactic acid in a 1:2 molar ratio have great potential for the removal of BTEX from gas streams. Its adsorption capacity was higher than the pure SiO2 and other developed SiO2-DES adsorbents. This result can be explained by the specific interaction between DESs and BTEX, i.e., hydrogen bonds interaction.