Textile with a hydrogel and iron oxide nanoparticles for wastewater treatment after reactive dyeing

In this work, we describe for the first time the synthesis of a hydrogel with iron oxide nanoparticles, uniformly distributed in its structure on a polyamide fabric by surface initiated photopolymerization. The type of outgoing iron ions Fe(II), Fe(III), and the combination between them influences the properties of the iron oxide particles and the obtained composite materials (PAF2, PAF3, and PAF32). All composite materials have been investigated as catalysts in heterogeneous Fenton process for treating real industrial wastewater after dyeing of cotton fabric with reactive dye Drimarene K-7B. Different conditions on the degradation of this dye have been investigated. The best result for discoloration has been obtained with PAF2 at concentration 9.4 g L⁻¹ and pH = 2.2 in the presence of H₂O₂ (93.3 mmol L⁻¹, where 78% of dye was degraded for 24 h and 90.5%-for 48 h. The high salinity of wastewaters, typical for dyeing with reactive dyes favors discoloration, while surface-active agents hinder the process. The obtained material is reusable and is more effective in less polluted water solutions. It has been found that the composite material can be used repeatedly.