Fabrication of graphene-plant fiber hybrid aerogel and its application for treatment of tritiated pump oil

Due to the rapid development of fusion energy, the treatment of tritium-containing organic waste liquid has attracted significant attention. In this work, with plant fiber as an additive, the grpahene-plant fiber hybrid aerogel (G/P-A) was fabricated and used to adsorb tritiated pump oil. Results show that, compared to pure graphene aerogel (G-A), G/P-A displays better equal volume adsorption capacity (Q_v) and higher adsorption efficiency. For pump oil, the maximum adsorption capacity was 49.39 mg/mg, and Q_v reached an impressive 663.2 mg/mL, which is 17.82% higher than G-A (562.9 mg/mL). For other different adsorption targets, the maximum adsorption capacity ranged from 38.9 to 52.1 mg/mg is obtained. Due to its cost-effectiveness, strong oil absorption capability, and resistance to radiation, G/P-A could be a promising candidate for the adsorption treatment of tritium-containing organic waste liquid, such as tritiated pump oil.

Graphical abstract