Material Properties, Characterization, and Application of Microcellular Injection-Molded Polypropylene Reinforced with Oyster Shells for Pb(II) Adsorption Kinetics from Aqueous Solutions

Microcellular injection-molded polypropylene/oyster shell nano-powder (PP/OSP) composites show potential as adsorbent materials for reducing toxic metal ion contamination in groundwater. This study investigates the material properties of PP/OSP composites and evaluates their Pb(II) adsorption performance in aqueous media. The effects of key operational parameters, including contact time, pH, and initial Pb(II) concentration, were examined to determine the optimal conditions for heavy metal remediation. The composites were characterized using XRD, SEM, FTIR, and TGA to assess their crystalline structure, surface morphology, functional groups, and thermal stability, respectively. Adsorption isotherm analysis indicated that the Pb(II) uptake behavior followed both the Freundlich and Temkin models. Kinetic studies showed that the adsorption process was best described by the pseudo-first-order model. The maximum adsorption capacity for Pb(II) removal was determined to be 13.89 mg/g.