The present invention provides a method (100) for removal of metals from aqueous solutions comprising the steps of treating (102) the aqueous solutions with an adsorbent, allowing (104) the aqueous solutions and the adsorbent to be in contact for a predetermined time to obtain treated aqueous solutions, collecting (106) the treated aqueous solutions, filtering (108) the treated aqueous solutions and discharging (110) the filtered aqueous solutions. The adsorbent comprising plurality of natural biomaterials. Further, the plurality of natural biomaterials are capable of adsorbing the metals from the aqueous solutions.

A method of making heteroatom-doped activated carbon is described in this application. Specifically, it describes a process that utilizes liquid furfuryl-functional-group compounds as starting materials, which are then used to dissolve the heteroatom containing source compounds, before being polymerized into solids using catalysts. The polymerized solids are then carbonized and activated to make the heteroatom-doped activated carbon. Electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC) were fabricated with activated carbons doped with boron and nitrogen, and tested for performance. Also, the boron and nitrogen content in the activated carbons was confirmed by chemical analysis.

Super water absorbents (SWA) based from cassava starch and acrylic acid (AAc) were prepared by gamma irradiation for agricultural applications. The influence of synthesis parameters on the gel properties of SWA and its effect on the soil water retention were investigated. Gel fraction of the different SWAs ranged from 40 to 98% and degree of swelling reached up to about 483 g water/g dry gel and SWAs exhibited gel strength up to 1000 kPa. The SWA with superior gel and soil water retention properties was found to be the formulation of 20% AAc, 30% DN, 7.5% starch and radiation dose of 20 kGy. This SWA effectively retained water in clay-rich soil while its water absorption in sandy loam increased with time. It has a biodegradation rate of 39% in 132 days. Preliminary pot experiments showed that the developed SWA can enhance the growth of lettuce.

Compositions, systems and methods of removing ammonia from fish storage systems are presented. A chemical water conditioner comprised of sodium formaldehyde bisulfite, cornstarch, dye and alcohol was found to have a high ammonia removal efficiency in seawater. A combination of this chemical water conditioner with modified chabazite and phosphate buffer exhibited high ammonia removal efficiency in both seawater and freshwater.

A remedial composition is disclosed made from plant material residue that has been densified and then reduced into discrete pieces with a bulk density of from about 0.2 g/cm.sup.3 to about 0.5 g/cm.sup.3. The composition can be made from various different plant species and can be particularly made from agricultural crop byproducts, such as flax shives. The composition is particularly well suited for use as a remediation product for cleaning up and/or removing oily substances, such as petroleum products.

A preparation method and application of a red mud-enhanced magnetic straw biochar material includes the following steps of: naturally air-drying or artificial drying straws, and crushing the dried straws; drying red mud from Bayer process, and crushing the red mud into powder; then mixing the crushed straws and the powdery red mud by ball milling to prepare straw-red mud mixed powder; mixing water and biomass ash rich in alkali, and extracting the mixture to obtain a biomass ash extracting solution and dealkalized biomass ash solid residues; and uniformly mixing and stirring the straw-red mud mixed powder and the biomass ash extracting solution to obtain a pasty mixture, carrying out co-pyrolysis on the pasty mixture under a protective atmosphere, and washing magnetic straw biochar produced by co-pyrolysis with water until the magnetic straw biochar is neutral to obtain the red mud enhanced magnetic straw biochar material.

A preparation method for a nanocomposite fiber membrane material based on a bio-based liquefied formaldehyde resin is provided. A bio-based raw material is processed through a phenol/polyethylene glycol complex liquefaction process, followed by divalent alkali metal hydroxide high ortho-position induction synthesis resinification and modification with the polymer polyvinyl alcohol to create a spinnable precursor as PVA-BLF. Subsequently, a coaxial electrospinning device is utilized, where PVA-BLF serves as a core layer and a titanium dioxide dispersion is used as a shell layer, to fabricate a PVA-BLF/TiO.sub.2 nanocomposite fiber membrane material. The average diameter of the nanocomposite fiber membrane is 150-450 nm, and the specific surface area is 500-700 m.sup.2/g. The porosity exceeds 60%, and the fracture elongation ranges from 5.5% to 6.5%, demonstrating excellent filtration performance and excellent regeneration performance, which can be developed as adsorption materials for water and air purification.

A chromogenic absorbent material for an animal litter includes an oxidizing agent responsive to peroxidatic/pseudoperoxidatic activity in an animal excretion or a first catalytic compound generating the oxidizing agent in situ. The material also includes a chromogenic indicator being chromogenically responsive to the oxidizing activity of the oxidizing agent, and an absorptive material which is porous, for absorbing the animal excretion. The absorptive material includes a water-absorbing polysaccharide providing absorptive properties to the chromogenic absorbent material; and may also include a second polysaccharide and a superabsorbent polymer. The material may be obtained in the form of particles having a low density and a high porosity and is usable in conjunction with an animal litter for detecting various diseases in animals.

[Object] To provide an adsorbent, an adsorbent sheet, and a carbon/polymer composite for adsorbing a virus having further improved virus adsorption capability.

[Solving Means] An adsorbent for adsorbing a virus according to the present invention has a specific surface area value as measured by the nitrogen BET method of 10 m.sup.2/g or more and a pore volume as measured by the BJH method of 0.1 cm.sup.3/g or more. An adsorbent sheet for adsorbing a virus according to the present invention includes a porous carbonaceous material having a specific surface area value as measured by the nitrogen BET method of 10 m.sup.2/g or more and a pore volume as measured by the BJH method of 0.1 cm.sup.3/g or more. A carbon/polymer composite for adsorbing a virus according to the present invention includes a porous carbonaceous material having a specific surface area value as measured by the nitrogen BET method of 10 m.sup.2/g or more and a pore volume as measured by the BJH method of 0.1 cm.sup.3/g or more; and a binder.

The invention relates to the use of a composite textile of natural and/or synthetic and/or artificial fibres and lignocellulose particles mixed with said fibres comprising more than 30 wt. % of said lignocellulose particles in order to trap the metals and/or metalloids and/or radionuclides and/or biocides present in water.