New magnetic petroleum sorbent based on protein extracted from Tnebrio Monitor larves and magnetite

GOMES DE SOUZA JR., F.; MOURA, B.; ABOELKHEIR, M.; GIALDINO, T.; MEIORIN, C.

Conferencia; 1ª Conferência Brasileira de Planejamento Experimental e Análise de Dados (ConBraPa 2020); 2020

A strategy to improve polymeric materials' properties is adding nano-fillers, obtaining nanocomposites. The magnetic nanocomposites possess several applications, ranging from environmental remediation to the development of advanced medical applications. In this work, a magnetic nanocomposite based on polyurea from larvae protein filled with magnetite was used to remove oil from the water. For the synthesis of polyurea, different protein masses were mixed with toluene diisocyanate (TDI), and, subsequently, the magnetite was added in-situ for the preparation of the composite. These syntheses were performed following a factorial plan. Every oil removal test was repeated five times.The results show that one gram of the best material can remove 28 g of oil from the water. This result is auspicious and encouraging for future studies of environmental recovery involving magnetite and sustainable polymers.