The present invention relates to the use of a particulate mineral material being functionalized with one or more adsorption enhancing agents for scavenging and removing ionic metal contaminants from an aqueous medium. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a corresponding process for scavenging and removing ionic metal contaminants from an aqueous medium as well as to a functionalized particulate mineral material and a process for making such material.

A polyelectrolyte coated fly ash is described with a method of making and a method of using for the adsorption of a contaminant from a solution. The polyelectrolyte coated fly ash may be made by treating the oil fly ash with acid, and then contacting the product with a positive polyelectrolyte to create a first polyelectrolyte layer, and then with a negative polyelectrolyte to create a negative polyelectrolyte layer. The resulting polyelectrolyte coated fly ash quickly adsorbs contaminants from solution, and may be cleaned and reused.

A method of chromium removal from wastewater comprising providing a copper augmented biochar and contacting the copper augmented biochar with the wastewater to remove chromium from the wastewater. The copper augmented biochar can remove chromium from wastewater with about 99% efficiency in about 1 hour.

An adsorbent for removing CO.sub.2 from a gas mixture, the adsorbent comprising alumina and a carbonate compound where the carbonate to alumina IR absorbance intensity ratio is reduced by washing the adsorbent with water. The disclosure also describes a method of making adsorbent particles, process for removing CO.sub.2 from a gas mixture using the adsorbent, and an adsorption unit using the adsorbent.

Provided herein is a method for decolorizing textile materials under hydrothermal conditions using dye adsorbent materials. The process is non-toxic and environmentally friendly, and the adsorbent materials can be repeatedly used. The textile materials are textile materials dyeable with disperse dyes. Further provided is a system for decolorizing textile materials. The decolorization system is designed to allow the adsorbent materials to react with the textile materials in a contact manner and a non-contact manner.

A method and system relate to an odor absorbing paint and a preparation method thereof. Some embodiments of the disclosure provide a method for making an odor absorbing paint by binding activated carbon particles to tourmaline particles with acrylic emulsion as an adhesive. In other embodiments, the tourmaline particle component in the odor absorbing paint can release negative ions for a long time. These released negative ions can form neutral coordination compounds with indoor toxic and harmful gas particles. In further embodiments, the coconut shell activated carbon particle component can adsorb the neutral coordination compounds, so that the toxic and harmful gas particles will remain in tubular micropores inside the activated carbon, and will not be desorbed to leave.

A passive NO.sub.X adsorbent includes: palladium, platinum or a mixture thereof and a mixed or composite oxide including the following elements in percentage by weight, expressed in terms of oxide: 10-90% by weight zirconium and 0.1-50% by weight of least one of the following: a transition metal or a lanthanide series element other than Ce. Although the passive NO.sub.X adsorbent can include Ce in an amount ranging from 0.1 to 20% by weight expressed in terms of oxide, advantages are obtained particularly in the case of low-Ce or a substantially Ce-free passive NOx adsorbent.

In one aspect, an oxygenated hierarchically porous carbon (an O-HPC) is provided, the O-HPC comprising: a hierarchically porous carbon (an HPC), the HPC comprising a surface, the surface comprising: (A) first order pores having an average diameter of between about 1 m and about 10 m; and (B) walls separating the first order pores, the walls comprising: (1) second order pores having a peak diameter between about 7 nm and about 130 nm; and (2) third order pores having an average diameter of less than about 4 nm, wherein at least a portion of the HPC surface has been subjected to O.sub.2 plasma to oxygenate and induce a negative charge to the surface. In one aspect, the O-HPC further comprises metal nanoparticles dispersed within the first, second, and third order pores. Methods for making and using the metal nanoparticle-impregnated O-HPCs are also provided.

The present invention provides a photocatalytic composition comprising: a photocatalyst; and an adsorbent material.

In one aspect, an oxygenated hierarchically porous carbon (an O-HPC) is provided, the O-HPC comprising: a hierarchically porous carbon (an UPC), the HPC comprising a surface, the surface comprising: (A) first order pores having an average diameter of between about 1 m and about 10 m; and (B) walls separating the first order pores, the walls comprising: (1) second order pores having a peak diameter between about 7 nm and about 130 nm; and (2) third order pores having an average diameter of less than about 4 nm, wherein at least a portion of the HPC surface has been subjected to O.sub.2 plasma to oxygenate and induce a negative charge to the surface. In one aspect, the O-HPC further comprises metal nanoparticles dispersed within the first, second, and third order pores. Methods for making and using the metal nanoparticle-impregnated O-HPCs are also provided.