Pollution caused by heavy metals has become a serious problem to the environment nowadays. The treatment of wastewater containing heavy metals continues to receive attention because of their toxicity and negative impact on the environment. Recently, various types of adsorbents have been prepared for the uptake of heavy metals from wastewater through the batch adsorption technique. This study focused on the removal of zinc from aqueous solution using microwave incinerated sugarcane bagasse ash (MISCBA). MISCBA was produced using microwave technology. The influence of some parameters such as pH, contact time, initial metal concentration and adsorbent dosage on the removal of zinc was investigated. The competition between H+ and metal ions has affected zinc removal at a low pH value. Optimum conditions for zinc removal were achieved at pH 6.0, contact time 180 min and adsorbent dosage of 10 g/L, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity for the removal of zinc was found to be 28.6 mg/g. The adsorption process occurred in a multilayered surface of the MISCBA. Chemical reaction was the potential mechanism that regulates the adsorption process. MISCBA can be used as an effective and cheap adsorbent for treatment of wastewater containing zinc metal ions.
Petroleum sludge is a waste product resulting from petroleum industries and it is a major source of environmental pollution. Therefore, developing strategies aimed at reducing its environmental impact and enhance cleaner production are crucial for environmental mortar. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used in designing the experimental work. The variables considered were the amount of petroleum sludge ash (PSA) in weight percent and the ratio of sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide, while the concentration of sodium hydroxide was kept constant in the production of geopolymer mortar cured at a temperature of 60 °C for 20 h. The effects of PSA on density, compressive strength, flexural strength, water absorption, drying shrinkage, morphology, and pore size distribution were investigated. The addition of PSA in the mortar enhanced the mechanical properties significantly at an early age and 28 days of curing. Thus, PSA could be used as a precursor material in the production of geopolymer mortar for green construction sustainability. This study aimed to investigate the influence of PSA in geopolymer mortar.
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