Efficient adsorption of a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by Si-MCM-41 mesoporous molecular sieve

Author(s)

Santana Costa, Jose Arnaldo ; de Jesus, Roberta Anjos ; Paranhos da Silva, Caio Marcio ; Cruz Romao, Luciane Pimenta

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Powder Technology; v. 308, p. 434-441, FEB 15 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 23

Abstract

This work describes the synthesis of Si-MCM-41 mesoporous adsorbent by a hydrothermal method and its characterization using FTIR, XRD, N-2 adsorption/desorption, SEM, TGA, and EDX analyses. The mesoporous Si-MCM41 was used as an adsorbent to remove the PAHs benzolblfluoranthene (B{[}b]F), benzo{[}k]fluoranthene (B{[}k]F), and benzo{[}a]pyrene (B{[}a]P) from aqueous media, and batch experiments were employed to determine the effects of initial adsorbate concentration and contact time. The Si-MCM-41 exhibited the hexagonal mesostructure typical of the M41S family, as confirmed by XRD, with type IV isotherms and type H1 hysteresis. The material showed a uniform mesopore size distribution, high surface area, thermal stability, and a high percentage of silica. The adsorption of B{[}b]F, B{[}k]F, and B{[}a]P reached equilibrium after ca. 60 min (q(e(exp)) = 1835, 18.26, and 18.78 mu g g(-1), respectively), and higher adsorbate concentrations were associated with increases in the percentage removal and the value of qe. The adsorption followed pseudo-second order kinetics, and the experimental data were fitted using the Langmuir isotherm model. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/05679-4 - Development of silica-based mesoporous materials from biomass for use as remediation system for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH's)
• Grantee: José Arnaldo Santana Costa
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate