US 12447462 B2Patent grantUnited States

Date-Palm and Bentonite Water Adsorbent

Official patent title

Method of making nanocomposite from date palm tree and Saudi bentonite

Arabic title: طريقة لصنع مركب نانوي من نخيل التمر والبنتونيت السعودي

Invention

Problem

Water contaminated with dyes and heavy metals needs affordable sorbents, while agricultural residues and local clay resources remain underused as functional materials.

Why it matters

Converting date-palm leaflets and bentonite into a water-treatment material could link waste valorization with pollutant adsorption if capacity, safety, and reuse are verified.

Approach

The method combines nanocellulose extracted from date-palm leaflets with nano-bentonite prepared from Khulays Mine clay. Water dispersion, drying, alkylamine treatment, heating, paste drying, and milling form a nanocomposite intended to adsorb dyes and heavy metals.

Who may benefit

Potential beneficiaries include water-treatment laboratories, agricultural-waste valorization programs, clay processors, adsorbent manufacturers, industrial-effluent operators, and regional materials researchers.

Potential value

The process combines two regionally available feedstocks in a functionalized cellulose-clay sorbent with defined preparation steps and patent-stated dye adsorption capacity.

Background

Water demand and contamination are increasing, and heavy metals or dyes can require additional treatment beyond conventional processes. Cellulose offers abundant functional groups for modification, while bentonite provides mineral surfaces for adsorption. Date-palm residues and Saudi clay are potential local feedstocks for a composite sorbent. The publication describes extraction, clay processing, composite formation, FT-IR and SEM characterization, and a dye-capacity range. It does not establish heavy-metal capacity, selectivity, kinetics, regeneration, leaching, continuous-flow behavior, or treated-water safety.

Technology overview

Nanocellulose from date-palm leaflets and 5–100 nm nano-bentonite from Khulays Mine clay are dispersed in water, dried at a temperature of at least 40 °C, mixed with an alkylamine, heated at a temperature of at least 100 °C into a paste, then dried and milled. The patent states a nanocellulose-to-bentonite weight-ratio range of 10:1–1:5 and a dye adsorption-capacity range of 1–10 mg/g at room temperature. FT-IR and SEM characterize the components and composite.

Potential applications

Adsorption of organic dyes from contaminated water.
Candidate removal of heavy metals from aqueous streams.
Date-palm residue valorization into functional materials.
Bio-clay adsorbent development for wastewater research.

Evidence-supported advantages

The method uses date-palm leaflets and Saudi bentonite feedstocks.
Preparation conditions and component weight-ratio ranges are specified.
Nanocellulose and nano-bentonite dimensions are defined.
FT-IR and SEM characterization are described.
A room-temperature dye adsorption-capacity range is stated.

Development stage

Laboratory preparation, FT-IR and SEM characterization, and a patent-stated dye-capacity range are described; continuous-flow use and commercialization were not established.

Commercial opportunity

The material may interest regional adsorbent and waste-valorization developers. Commercial assessment requires independent dye and metal capacity, selectivity, kinetics, realistic-water tests, alkylamine residuals, particle and ion leaching, regeneration cycles, spent-sorbent disposal, continuous-flow trials, scale-up yield, acid and heat costs, and confirmation of treated-water quality.

Patent classifications

WIPO IPC

B01J20/24Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J20/16Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
C02F101/20Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge

CPC

B01J20/28011Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J20/3078Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J20/3021Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J20/3071Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J20/3085Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J20/28007Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
C08B15/00Polysaccharides; derivatives thereof
C02F1/288Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
B01J20/28026Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
C08L1/02Compositions of macromolecular compounds
B01J20/24Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J20/165Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J2220/4806Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
C02F2101/308Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2305/08Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F1/281Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
B01J2220/46Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
C02F1/286Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2101/20Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
B01J2220/485Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus

Inventors

First inventorAbdulrahman G. ALHAMZANI
InventorSaad A. Aljlil

Keywords

date-palm leaflets
nanocellulose
Saudi bentonite
nanocomposite
dye adsorption
heavy metals
water treatment
waste valorization

Patent document and drawings

The patent publication is mapped to this record. Patent drawings remain within that publication; no separately cleared public media package has been supplied.