Ceramic bricks containing Ni ions from contaminated biomass used as an adsorbent

Abstract

This article shows how pine sawdust residues can be used to adsorb nickel ions from synthetic solutions and then to produce porous bricks for civil construction using a mixture of natural clay and biomass containing the adsorbed metals. The adsorption tests were performed by mixing NiCl2 solutions with pine sawdust during a fixed stirring period of 24 h. The set was filtered and the filtrate was analysed. Highest efficiency adsorbate/adsorbent ratio was 50 mL of 1 M NiCl2 solution and 20 g L− 1 of pine sawdust. This was the contaminated biomass sample used in the manufacture of the bricks. This paper analyses the properties of the bricks achieved and compares them with bricks without added biomass, porous bricks containing zinc and commercial bricks. The obtained values of bulk density, apparent specific weight, apparent porosity, water absorption, apparent volume, weight loss on ignition, compressive strength, flexural modulus of rupture and efficiency retention of metal in the brick, demonstrate that the ceramic pieces obtained are optimal for construction.

Agro-Industrial Waste as Potential Heavy Metal Adsorbents and Subsequent Safe Disposal of Spent Adsorbents

“…However, the differences between the results of adsorption percentage (A%) are not only due to the characteristics of the biomass adsorbent but were also due to the concentration of contaminant, dosage of the adsorbent, pH of the solution, temperature, contact time, among others, that are factors that can affect the adsorption process [7]. Some of these factors were evaluated by the authors in previous work on the adsorption of heavy metals on adsorbent materials of plant origin [26,46,54,55].…”

“…The safe disposal of used and/or spent adsorbents is nowadays raising as a need to consider it for a more sustainable processes that can help to preserve the environment [56]. Based on the previous experience of the authors [54,55], the local production of ceramics for bricks construction is presented as a possible alternative for the safe disposal of spent adsorbents that would contribute to the real applicability of them as metal adsorbents.…”