{
  "abstract": "This study explores the valorisation of post-industrial recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) via incorporation of sepiolite clay to develop a composite adsorbent for methylene blue (MB) dye removal. The composite formulation was evaluated by varying the rPET concentration, TFA:DCM solvent ratio, sepiolite content, and blending time. The selected formulation had an average particle size of 267.10 nm, a specific surface area of 0.67 m2/g, and a pore volume of 0.003925 cm3/g. Adsorption conditions were then optimised using a five-factor, three-level Box–Behnken design, considering contact time, MB concentration, adsorbent dosage, pH, and temperature. The resulting quadratic model was statistically significant (F = 114.18, p < 0.0001), with R2 = 0.9892, adjusted R2 = 0.9805, and predicted R2 = 0.9568; however, the lack-of-fit was also significant (F = 90.90, p < 0.0001), indicating that model predictions should be interpreted within the investigated factor ranges. At the selected conditions of 62.5 min, 25.5 mg/L MB, 2.55 g/50 mL adsorbent, pH 7, and 55 °C, the model predicted an MB removal efficiency of 99.03%. The adsorbent retained at least 93% reusability efficiency after six adsorption–washing–reuse cycles. The kinetic data were described more closely by the pseudo-second-order model, whereas the Freundlich model provided a better representation of the equilibrium data (R2 = 0.9976). Thermodynamic results indicated that adsorption was favourable and exothermic within the investigated temperature range. Overall, the results show that post-industrial PET can be converted into a value-added sepiolite-containing adsorbent for MB removal.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor Bahru 81310, Johor, Malaysia",
    "Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Advanced Materials, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia",
    "Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 400, Al Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Suria Fatin Mohd Din"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Zahid Iqbal Khan",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9143-0713"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Mohammed E. Ali Mohsin",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9486-0041"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Suleiman Mousa",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4599-0856"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Norhayani Othman"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Mohammad Yousaf Younes",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4505-5692"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Zurina Mohamad",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2603-0390"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "SK Safdar Hossain",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3076-1161"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/acr87g2adax5z.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/ijms27198841",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13665175",
  "id": "acr87g2adax5z",
  "issns": [
    "1422-0067"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/19/8841",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2312|Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220471345",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13665175?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13665175",
  "pmid": "42884084",
  "published": "2026-10-03",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/acr87g2adax5z.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:55Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/ijms27198841",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/19/8841"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:00Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42884084",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42884084"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "earth",
      "origin": "openalex:2312|Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal",
      "subfield": "hydrology-soils"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Recycled PET/Sepiolite Composite Adsorbent for Methylene Blue Removal: Formulation, RSM Optimisation, Reusability, and Adsorption Mechanism",
  "title_text": "Recycled PET/Sepiolite Composite Adsorbent for Methylene Blue Removal: Formulation, RSM Optimisation, Reusability, and Adsorption Mechanism",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:00Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/acr87g2adax5z",
  "venue": "International Journal of Molecular Sciences",
  "versions": []
}