Aims: Ogwuta clay from Unwana in the South Eastern part of Nigeria was modified by ion exchange reaction using hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (HDTMAC). Study Design: This study was analyzed experimentally and instrumentally. Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out at the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The sample collection, literature search, experiment, results and analysis lasted for one and half years. Methodology: Physicochemical and thermal properties of the clay were determined after modification using classical and spectroscopic techniques. A combination of the wet and dry method (X-ray Fluorescence) was used to determine the metal oxide composition. Other techniques included; Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Thermogravimetry (TG). The Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) was determined using the methylene blue method with a value of 16.4 meq/100g after modification. Results: The product was slightly acidic with pH 4.3. Silica (SiO2), alumina (Al2O3), Na+, and K+ were found to be 47.58 %, 18.99%, 2.27, and 0.23% respectively. The clay was limited in mineral impurities with 0.0% T4+, 0.41% Mg2+, and 0.11% Ca2+ but high in carbonaceous matter with loss on ignition (LOI) of 13.17%. A C-H asymmetric stretching was visible around the 2931.9 cm-1 region as revealed by the Fourier Transform Infra-Red analysis. The X-Ray Diffraction analysis of the modified clay showed a basal spacing of 8.121 Å. Also, the X-Ray Diffractogram revealed kaolinite as the major clay mineral with the presence of quartz and polygorskite. Conclusion: This study posits that the modified clay can be potentially suitable for the adsorptive removal of organic contaminants in aqueous and real life media.
The presence of heavy metals in the environment and especially water is known to both cause severe harm to marine organisms, and also to terrestrial plants and animals including human beings. In an attempt to minimize environmental pollution caused by agricultural wastes and maximize agricultural by-products, the adsorption of Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ using carbonized orange peel as adsorbent was studied using batch adsorption method. The initial physico-chemical properties of the prepared adsorbent were 6.14, 10%, 12%, 2.0%, and 0.5mg/L for pH, attrition, ash content, moisture content and bulk density respectively. Atomic adsorption spectrophotometer was used to monitor the Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ concentrations of the simulated test solutions. The optimum values obtained were 97.34% at concentration of 40mg/L for Pb 2+ and 93.45% at concentration of 20mg/L for Cd 2+ , 99.46% at a pH of 7 for Pb 2+ and 97.48% at a pH of 6 for Cd 2+ , 96.76% at a contact time of 80 mins for Pb 2+ and 50.05% at a contact time of 100 mins for Cd 2+ and 97.36% at an adsorbent dosage of 1.2g for Pb 2+ and 91.55% at an adsorbent dosage of 1.2g for Cd 2+ . The results indicated that carbonized orange peel is a good adsorbent for the removal Pb 2+ and Cd 2+ from simulated waste water.
One of the naturally abundant minerals with diverse industrial applications is the clay mineral. The choice of application depends on the characteristics of the clay. In this study, internal composition of the large and untapped Ogwuta clay deposit located in Afikpo, South Eastern Nigeria was further investigated as a guide to its applications. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Thermogravimetric (TG), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were employed to access its composition. The scanning electron micrograph revealed that the clumping of the clay particles was due to edge-to-edge, edge-to-face or face-to-face flocculation. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that at temperature range of 153-325°C, the observed weight percent loss (13.67%), consistent with kaolinitic clays, was due to the removal of water of crystallization of the interlayer cations. X-ray diffraction result further revealed kaolinite as the predominant mineral with the presence of quartz and polygorskite. This study has revealed the applicability of Ogwuta source clay in both industrial and manufacturing activities.
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