Adsorptive removal of Congo Red from wastewater using Magnetite@ZnO@Zeolite composite

Synthetic dyes are considered toxic pollutants and are therefore not easily removed by conventional water-treatment processes. This work focused on removal of Congo red (CR) dye utilizing a magnetite, zinc oxide and zeolite (Fe3O4@ZnO@Zeolite) composites synergetic effects. The Fe3O4@ZnO@Zeolite composite was synthesized by the sol–gel method. The physicochemical properties of the composite were characterized using numerous techniques including X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) combined with Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (SEM/EDS), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). XRD confirmed the presence of a crystalline phase in the Fe3O4@ZnO@Zeolite composite material. The adsorption process at pH 5 showed high removal efficiency because Fe3O4@ZnO@Zeolite synergetic effect removed more than 90% of dye at 0.6 g adsorbent dose and 100 mg L−1 concentration. The Fe3O4@ZnO@Zeolite nanocomposite exhibited a maximal Langmuir adsorption capacity of 10.99 mg/g, indicating monolayer coverage for Congo red sorption. The synthesized composite materials can successfully remove CR in water and wastewater. The Fe3O4@ZnO@Zeolite material was tested on real samples of wastewater, demonstrating an effective removal rate of 95.2%. The results show the potential of Fe3O4@ZnO@Zeolite composite as cost effective environmentally friendly adsorbent for wastewater treatment which promote cleaner water resources.