Reactive ceramic pellets incorporated iron for removing As(III), As(V), and Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions

Abstract

A ceramic filter coated with a reactive material has a high thermal and chemical stability and can be used to treat wastewater under extreme conditions. With the aim of enhancing the reactivity of conventional ceramic materials, the feasibility of incorporating an iron material as the reactive material into conventional ceramic materials was evaluated. Reactive ceramic pellets were synthesized by mixing zero-valent iron (ZVI) with conventional ceramic materials composed of primarily alumina in order to enhance the reactivity of the conventional ceramic materials. To evaluate the removal of As(III), As(V), and Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions, batch sorption tests were conducted under various conditions (i.e., pH and solid-to-liquid ratio) using synthesized ceramic pellets incorporating various iron contents and ZVI and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) as reference materials. Results show that ZVI had a higher sorption capacity than Al2O3 under acidic conditions, and the adsorption capacity of synthesized ceramic pellets for As and Cr increased when the iron content of the synthesized ceramic pellets increased. These results indicate that the addition of iron materials into conventional ceramic materials can enhance the reactivity of the conventional ceramic material for removal of As and Cr from aqueous solutions.