Enhanced Alumina as an Effective Adsorbent for Water Pollution Treatment: Characterization and Methylene Blue Degradation Study

Abstract

Alumina has gained recognition as an exceptional adsorbent for water pollution treatment. This study focuses on developing a sample, economical, and feasible pathway to produce alumina. Furthermore, the prepared alumina is modified with silver and titania to enhance its physicochemical characteristics. The produced alumina and modified versions are characterized using pH of the point of zero charge and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The results indicate that both materials exhibit pHpzc values around neutral (7.1 and 7.5). The FTIR spectra reveal the presence of Al-OH and Al-O-Al interactions across the entire study range. The study explores the applications of the prepared alumina by investigating its efficacy in Methylene Blue (MB) degradation. The initial dye concentration and equilibrium time are varied to assess the maximum adsorption capacity. The modified alumina, possessing improved physicochemical characteristics, exhibits significantly higher MB adsorption (above 8mg/g) and achieves above 90% MB removal from aqueous media. This study demonstrates the economic and viable production of alumina on a simple lab scale setup. Moreover, the modified alumina showcases enhanced physicochemical properties, making it a promising adsorbent for water pollution treatment. Future research could focus on refining the production process and achieving highly pure alumina through advanced reaction setups