Elaboration of Inorganic Polymer for Removal of Organic Compound by Dynamic Column Test

Abstract

The present research aims to synthesize inorganic polymer by geopolymerization reaction and to evaluate its ability to removal organic matter from water. The inorganic polymer was prepared by activation of metakaolin by a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to characterize the geo-adsorbent. The XRD and SEM analysis indicates that formation of new phase and aluminosilicate gel after the geopolymerization process. The adsorption of cationic dye into elaborated inorganic polymer matrix was investigated by a dynamic column test. To predict the breakthrough curves and determine the  main  fixed  bed  column  parameters,  three  kinetic  models;  Tomas,  Bohart-Adams  and Yoon-Nelson  models  are  applied  to  fit  the  experimental  data. The kinetic models of the adsorption in dynamic column confirmed that the prepared adsorbent can be used repeatedly for decolouration of water contaminated by textile dye.