Removal of Pb from industrial waste water using Carbon Nanotubes Synthesized from Camphor Oil

Abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were successfully synthesized from camphor oil (C₁₀H₁₆O) using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method with Fe nanoparticles as a catalyst at an optimized temperature of 800°C. Camphor oil, a plant-based carbon precursor, was pyrolyzed in the presence of argon as a carrier gas, resulting in CNTs with a high degree of crystallinity, graphitic nature, and diameters ranging from 14 to 70 nm. The synthesized CNTs were utilized as adsorbents to investigate the removal of lead (Pb²⁺) from industrial wastewater. Wastewater samples were collected from various industries and treated with CNTs by dispersing 10 mg of CNTs in 1000 mL of wastewater. Following a 24-hour adsorption process, the filtered samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICPAES). The results indicated that approximately 95% of Pb²⁺ ions were effectively removed, demonstrating the potential of CNTs as an efficient adsorbent for heavy metal remediation