Polypyrrole/palygorskite nanocomposite: A new chromate collector

Polypyrrole (PPy) coated palygorskite (PG) was prepared via in situ polymerization of pyrrole on the surface of PG. Adsorption data indicated that nanocomposite was an efficient chromate collector from aqueous solution. The chromate removal was assumed to be mainly due to the anion exchange properties of the polymer PPy+Cl−. Adsorption kinetics was best described by the pseudo-second-order model, and Langmuir isotherm model fitted the experimental data significantly better than the Freundlich model. The adsorption process between PPy/PG and chromate was endothermic and spontaneous in nature. PPy/PG nanocomposite had a great potential application in recovery or elimination of anionic contaminations from wastewater.