Adsorption of Naphthalene in Liquid Paraffin by Using Boron-Containing Nanoclay Derived from the Boron Enrichment Process Waste

The adsorption of aromatic hydrocarbons from liquid paraffin is essential because of their harmful nature, long-lasting presence, and detrimental effects on the quality of the product. In this study, we investigated the adsorption of naphthalene from liquid paraffin by using a nanoclay-based adsorbent prepared from boron enrichment process waste. The characterization of the prepared adsorbent was carried out by using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and N2 adsorption–desorption techniques, which confirmed the development of a layered nanostructure containing boron that possesses a porous and high-surface-area format appropriate for the adsorption. The hydrothermal treatment significantly increased the BET surface area from 35.42 to 112.15 m2/g, indicating the successful formation of a porous nanostructure. The kinetic and isotherm parameters of the adsorption process were calculated from experimental data. The adsorption of naphthalene followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and the isotherm fit well to the Langmuir model. Adsorption experiments revealed that the optimum adsorption performance was achieved at pH 4.0, and equilibrium was reached within 90 min. The adsorption kinetics were best described by the pseudo-second-order model (R2 > 0.99), while the equilibrium data showed excellent agreement with the Langmuir isotherm model (R2 = 0.995), suggesting monolayer adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacity of BNC was determined as 365.20 mg/g, which was more than twice that of the raw BEW (247.59 mg/g). Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption process was spontaneous at lower temperatures and exothermic, with a ΔH° value of −15.42 kJ/mol for BNC. The results suggest that the adsorption occurs through a multi-step process, beginning with external film diffusion, followed by pore diffusion and surface interaction. Based on the kinetic, isotherm, and spectroscopic data, a supramolecular adsorption mechanism is suggested, which encompasses π-π interactions, van der Waals forces, and surface complexation between naphthalene and the nanoclay structure. These results indicate that boron enrichment process waste-derived nanoclay is a sustainable, economical, and efficient adsorbent for removing naphthalene from liquid paraffin.