Adsorption of p-cresol on novel diatomite/carbon composites

Hybrid inorganic/organic adsorbents were synthesized using mixtures of diatomite and carbon charcoal as precursors, and explored for the removal of p-cresol from aqueous solution. The carbon/diatomite composites displayed a bimodal and interconnected porous structure which was partially inherited fr...

ver descrição completa

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Hadjar, H., Hamdi, B., Ovín Ania, María Concepción
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2011
País:España
Recursos:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/99157
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/99157
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Adsorption
P-cresol
Diatomite
Carbon composites
Descrição
Resumo:Hybrid inorganic/organic adsorbents were synthesized using mixtures of diatomite and carbon charcoal as precursors, and explored for the removal of p-cresol from aqueous solution. The carbon/diatomite composites displayed a bimodal and interconnected porous structure which was partially inherited from both precursors. They display moderate surface areas (between 100 and 400 m2 g−1) due to their large inorganic content (between 70 and 90 wt.%), since the diatomite is a non-porous material. Compared to activated carbons with a more developed porosity, p-cresol adsorption on the prepared carbon/diatomite composites was much faster, showing adsorption capacities similar to those of conventional adsorbents over a wide pH range. These results show a good affinity of p-cresol molecules towards the hybrid inorganic/organic composites, and demonstrate the suitability of these novel materials for the removal of aromatic (polar) molecules, despite their dominant inorganic character.