Electron Beam-Induced Surface Modification on Nanochitosan-Grafted 3D-Printed Monoliths for Enhanced Wastewater Color Removal

The utilization of 3D printing technology has brought about significant advancements in various industries, including wastewater treatment. 3D printing has garnered considerable attention due to its affordability, user-friendliness, and ability to manufacture complex structures rapidly with minimal wastage, aligning with sustainability goals. This study aims to enhance the color removal efficiency and reduce the processing time in color removal using different electron beam (EB) irradiation treatments at 50 cGy (0.125 min), 100 cGy (0.25 min), and 200 cGy (0.5 min) on silane-grafted nanochitosan of a 3D-printed monolith for adsorption performance in a batch process. Using 200 cGy for 0.5 min, the highest removal efficiency of 96% with an adsorption capacity of 12.2 ± 0.7 mg/g was achieved within 80 min, compared to 2 h without EB irradiation treatments. Several characterization examinations were conducted to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the surface morphology and topology, chemical structure, and elemental compositions of the silane-grafted nanochitosan. The results revealed that with increasing EB irradiation, the surface roughness changed, enhancing the adsorption performance for wastewater treatment.