Date of Award
6-4-2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Chemistry
First Advisor
Tito Viswanathan
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) is a pollutant which degrades water quality and is a cause of concern for eutrophication of water. This research dissertation discusses the synthesis of novel, renewable resource-based, single metallic and bimetallic nanocomposite media, their use in Phosphorus remediation as phosphate, and their regeneration for reuse. The media consist of chemically modified pine wood chips in addition to metal oxides/hydroxides. Iron is used for single metallic media, while cerium/aluminum and cerium/manganese are used for mixed bimetallic media. The synthetic method is environmentally friendly and economically viable. These nanocomposites may find use in the removal of P from contaminated waters, such as agricultural wastes, mine drainage, and seawater. The superiority of using these nanocomposites for adsorption is mainly due to the positive charge, as well as the presence of metal oxide nanoparticles on the surface of the reusable media. A new media made up of betaine and zinc ammonium carbonate impregnated in biochar has been synthesized, characterized, and implemented for P removal studies. Adsorption isotherms (Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and D-R models) and kinetic studies (Lagergren pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich, and Weber-Morris models) have been performed to determine the media’s adsorption capacity and mechanism of Phosphate removal. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area studies were performed to determine the size and structure of the nanocomposites, as well as the elements present on the surface. Ion-Chromatography (IC) has also been used to determine the anionic composition in real water samples and the effects of anions in P remediation. The Phosphorus removal studies using these media demonstrate that they can reduce P levels in polluted water from 1000 parts per billion to at least 10 parts per billion.
Recommended Citation
Nakarmi, Amita, "Novel Reusable Renewable Resource-Based Benign Nanocomposites for Removal and Recovery of Phosphorus from Contaminated Water" (2020). Theses and Dissertations. 943.
https://research.ualr.edu/etd/943
