Recent studies have been reported the presence of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds, Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (EDC/PPCPs) in surface and wastewater, which could potentially affect to the complicate behavior in coupled presence of nano-colloid particles and surfactants (adsorption, dispersion, and partitioning). In this study, the adsorption of EDC/PPCPs by Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNTs) as a representative of nano-particles in cationic surfactant solutions were investigated. Hydrophobic interactions (π-π Electron Donor-Acceptor) have been reported as a potential adsorption mechanisms for EDC/PPCPs onto SWNTs. Generally, the adsorptive capacity of the relatively hydrophobic EDC/PPCPs onto SWNTs decreased in the presence of cationic surfactant (Cetyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide, CTAB). This study revealed that the competitive adsorption occurred between CTAB cations and EDC/PPCPs by occupying the available SWNT surface (CTAB adsorption onto SWNTs shows five-regime and maximum adsorption capacity of 370.4 mg/g by applying the BET isotherm). The adsorption capacity of 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2) on SWNT showed the decrease of 48% in the presence of CTAB. However, the adsorbed naproxen (NAP) surely increased by forming hemimicelles and resulted in a favorable media formation for NAP partition to increase SWNTs adsorption capacity. The adsorbed NAP increased from 24 to 82.9 mg/g after the interaction of CTAB with NAP. The competitive adsorption for EDC/PPCPs onto SWNTs is likely to be a key factor in the presence of cationic surfactant, however, NAP adsorption showed a slight competition through CH3-CH3 interaction by forming hemimicelles on SWNT surface.

In preparation of silica aerogel-based hybrid coating materials, the combination of hydrophobic aerogel with organic polar binder material is shown to be very limited due to dissimilar surface property between two materials. Accordingly, the surface modification of the aerogel would be required to obtain compatibilized hybrid coating sols with homogeneous dispersion. In this study, the surface of silica aerogel particles was modified by using both surfactant adsorption and heat treatment methods. Four types of surfactants with different molecular weights and HLB values were used to examine the effect of chain length and hydrophilicity. The surface property of the modified aerogel was evaluated in terms of visible observation for aerogel dispersion in water, water contact angle measurement, and FT-IR analysis. In surface modification using surfactants, the effects of surfactant type and content, and mixing time as process parameter on the degree of hydrophilicity for the modified aerogel. In addition, the temperature condition in modification process via heat treatment was revealed to be significant factor to prepare aerogel with highly hydrophilic property.

For a cosmetic plant wastewater containing surfactants of high concentration, adsorption treatment by granular activated carbon(GAC) having different pore size distribution was studied. Three sorts GACs were used and regenerated afterwards with methanol. Experiments were composed of batch process and column test for both virgin and regenerated GACs. Following conclusions were drawn from the study: Methylene blue activating substance(MBAS) adsorption data from the batch tests for three GACs are described well by BET isotherm and Freundich isotherm. Simulation with the BET isotherm shows that maximum adsorption appears to be affected not only by specific surface area but also by pore size distribution. Maximum adsorption from the BET isotherm for MBAS appears to diminish as the number of reactivation increases. The diminishing ratio of maximum adsorption appears to decrease as the pore size decreases. Recovery ratio of the methanol by vacuum evaporation from the spent methanol ranges from 95% to 97%.

One of the objectives of this study were to develop a process for manufacturing activated carbons from agricultural by-products(rice shells and saw dust) and another is to measure the iodine number, ash content and removal ratio of COD. The other is to compare those values with those of commercialized activated carbons. Agricultural by-products based activated carbons were manufactured through the steam-reaction method. A rotary kiln type furnace was used for both carbonization and activation. The optimum operating temperatures for carbonization and activation were 650℃ and 900℃, respectively. For the activated carbons produced under these conditions, the iodine number was 1,127mg/g. Especially, removal efficiency of COD was 61.5% for 40mg/L of wastewater and 30% for 150mg/L of SLS(Sodium Lauryl Sulfate).

The adsorption of the anionic surfactants, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) anion surfactants from aqueous solutions with nonionic resins, Amberlite XAD-2, XAD-4 and XAD-7 at temperatures in 15∼45℃ range was studied. Several adsorption isotherm models were used to fit the experimental data. The best results were obtained with the Redlich-Peterson equation and the Freundlich model provided remarkably good fits. For a particular resin at a particular temperature, SDBS was more extensively adsorbed than SLS. The highest adsorption were obtained with XAD-4 resin and the specific surface area of the resins plays a major role in adsorption of the surfactants. Estimations of the isosteric heat of adsorption were indicative of an exothermic process, and their magnitudes manifested a physisorption process.