Development and Characterization of Sugarcane Bagasse Cellulose (SBC) and Recycled Polystyrene (RPS) for Filtration of Water

Abstract

The increasing generation of agricultural residues and plastic wastes creates an opportunity for developing low-cost materials for water treatment. This study developed and characterized a sugarcane-bagasse-cellulose/recycled-polystyrene (SBC–rPS) granular composite and compared a non-templated composite (S1) with a calcium-carbonate-templated porous composite (S2). Sugarcane bagasse was subjected to alkaline delignification and bleaching to obtain cellulose, while post-consumer expanded polystyrene (EPS) was cleaned and dissolved in toluene to produce recycled polystyrene resin. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used as a compatibilizing agent. S2 additionally contained CaCO3 as a sacrificial pore-forming agent followed by acid leaching with 1 M HNO3. The composites were characterized using FTIR, XRD, SEM–EDS and BET nitrogen adsorption. Filtration performance was evaluated using synthetic kaolin turbid water at initial turbidity levels of 10, 5 and 1 NTU and flow rates of 1.11, 3.23 and 7.26 mL/s. FTIR confirmed retention of characteristic polystyrene bands in both composites, while the O–H absorption was less prominent in S2. The dominant XRD reflection occurred at 22.23° for S1 and 29.47° for S2. SEM showed a comparatively compact S1 morphology and a more open, irregular S2 structure. BET surface area increased from 254.612 m²/g for S1 to 275.762 m²/g for S2, while BJH pore volume increased from 0.130 to 0.135 cm³/g. S2 consistently outperformed S1 in turbidity removal. At 1.11 mL/s, S2 achieved 63%, 88% and 92% removal at 10, 5 and 1 NTU, respectively. The maximum observed removal was 92% at 1 NTU. The results demonstrate the potential of the waste-derived SBC–rPS composite as a granular filtration medium, particularly for low-turbidity polishing applications.