TITLE:
Removal of Fluoride from Water Using Mesoporous MCM-41: An Optimization Approach Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)
AUTHORS:
Bodhaditya Das, Saumen Banerjee, Prasanta K. Raul, Rashmi R. Devi, Iohbor M. Umlong, Anup K. Talukdar, Sanjai K. Dwivedi
KEYWORDS:
MCM-41, Mesoporous Silica, Adsorption, Fluoride, Response Surface Methodology (RSM)
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Nanoparticles,
Vol.10 No.3,
August
4,
2021
ABSTRACT: Fluoride above 1.5 mg·L-1 is injurious to
health. Removal of fluoride from water using mesoporous MCM-41 as a strong
adsorbent material has been attempted. Characterization using transmission
electron microscopic study of calcined MCM-41 showed the regular hexagonal
array of mesoporous channels with an average size of 20 nm and the surface area (BET
study) of 1306.96 m2·g-1. The average pore size of the
particles was found to be 14.21 nm. A study on the effect of contact time on the removal
of fluoride revealed that more than 85% uptake of fluoride onto MCM-41 was
achieved at a contact time of 120 min. From the Langmuir adsorption study, the maximum sorption
capacity of fluoride was found to be 63.05 mg/g at 301 K. From the thermodynamic study, the
+ΔHo value of 2.29 kJ·mol-1 indicated the endothermic nature of the
removal process. Application of Response Surface Model suggested that 77.88% of
fluoride removal can be achieved at fluoride concentration of 10 mg·L-1,
pH (6.3), and
contact time of 120 min.