Corn Straw Fibers, an Agro-Industrial Residue, Used as Reinforcement in Polyurethane Foams in Dye Removal in Wastewater

Alternative adsorbent materials containing natural fibers are a research topic that has garnered increasing attention, with greater relevance when they come from agro-waste. The removal of contaminants, such as dyes, by adsorption methods has been a low-cost alternative to these materials that impedes the adverse effects of water pollution. This study proposes the preparation of an environmentally sustainable material with an excellent reduction in production costs, based on the manufacturing of polyurethane foam composites containing natural fibers from agro-industrial waste. The foam was synthesized by partially replacing the conventional polyol used in polyurethane foams with corn straw fibers, to form a composite material. The composites were prepared according to a statistical design, and the responses were evaluated using Version 13 of Design Expert&reg: software. The composite samples were characterized by mechanical tests which were performed to determine the resilience, Young&rsquo:s modulus, and permanent compression, and the morphological properties were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy techniques. To solve environmental problems in the textile and paper industries, such as water pollution, the composite material was evaluated physico-chemically for its application as an adsorbent for dyes, the main cause of ecological imbalance&mdash:specifically methylene blue cationic (MB), and Congo red anionic (CR). Owing to their high efficiency in dye removal, the corn straw fibers inserted in the composite proved to be a good sustainable adsorbent with improved mechanical characteristics, making this a project that directly contributes to the sustainable development goal (SDG) #6&mdash:drinking water and sanitation: it is a low-cost, high-quality synthesized material from post-harvest waste, and it can be reused after use in wastewater treatment in construction, scientifically contributing to SDGs 12, 14, and 15.