Silver and titanium oxides for the removal of phenols from pharmaceutical wastewater
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Date
2021-01-01
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Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
This study is focused on the removal of total phenols from pharmaceutical effluent using an adsorbent of silver and titanium oxides-doped activated carbon. The adsorbent was biosynthesized by reducing AgNO3 and Ti (NO3)4·4H2O into their oxides by whole extracts of Shea butter leaves and subsequently doped on activated carbon. The properties of the adsorbent were investigated for its morphology, elemental composition, crystallinity, and surface functional group modifications using HRSEM, EDS, XRD, and FTIR respectively. It was found to exhibit high crystallinity from rutile titania, with particle sizes in the sub – 200 nm range, and surface-modified with aromatics, nitrates, and nitramines that favor adsorption. Batch adsorption studies were performed at different contact time (20–230 min.), temperature (35–50 °C), and adsorbent dosage (0.1–0.5 g/50 mL). An optimum percent phenol removal of 99.86% (conc. 0.3299 mg/L) was obtained at 3 h. 42 min., temperature of 35 °C, and adsorbent dosage of 0.1 g/50 mL. Using the Ag/Ti co-doped activated carbon, removal of phenol from pharmaceutical effluent followed pseudo-second order model, and fitted the Langmuir isotherm.
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Keywords
Biosynthesis, Silver, Titanium, Shea butter leaves, Activated carbon, Pharmaceutical wastewater