Regeneration of spent bleaching clay by ultrasonic irradiation and its application in methylene blue adsorption

Abstract

An effective method that combines solvent extraction with ultrasonic irradiation was developed to recycle spent bleaching clay (SBC) from modern oil refinery plants. The principle of ‘waste to treasure’ was used to achieve the regenerated SBC. Various characterization techniques were applied to analyse and compare regenerated SBC and commercial bleaching clay (CBC). The structure of the regenerated SBC did not show any obvious change compared with that of CBC, but the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller-specific surface area (SBET) and pore-volume values of the regenerated SBC increased. At the same time, the parameters of the regenerated SBC reached national standards. In addition, the samples were used as low-cost adsorbents for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) from water. The regenerated SBC had greater adsorption efficiency and cycle performance for MB than CBC. Hence, the SBC may be treated by ultrasonic radiation combined with extraction, and the regenerated SBC has better properties than CBC. This work opens up a new approach to the regeneration and utilization of SBC and raises the potential of ultrasonic irradiation as an environmentally friendly method to be applied to various regeneration systems.

Regeneration of Ion-Exchange Resins and Granular Activated Carbon with the Sonochemical Technique for Enabling Adsorption of Aqueous Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

“…Compared with the surface area of GAC, the cracked surfaces did not influence the removal efficiency of the spent adsorbent regeneration. However, a previously published study found that the carbon residues could be retained in pores and clogged the entrance of pores after the first cycle [14] and results in a reduction in the effective adsorption sites and adsorption capacity [15]. These results clearly indicate that DOWEX MB-50 is an efficient adsorbent with greater adsorptive capability and greater capacity for repeated use compared to…”

Application of regenerated spent bleaching earth as an adsorbent for the carbon dioxide adsorption by gravimetric sorption system

“…Untreated SBE had a weight loss of 25.4% at 400 °C, 28.3% at 500 °C, 31.1% at 650 °C and 34.7% at 800 °C, as illustrated in Figure 1. The first weight loss of 5.97% that occurred below 150 °C can be ascribed to the thermal dehydration of trapped water molecules on the surface of materials [22]. The elimination of a majority of the coordinated water and decomposition of organic material (evaporation of volatile matter) from the SBE resulted in a quick decline in the sample weight of 17.26% at the second dehydration phase from 150 to 350 °C [13], [22], [23].…”

Calcium alginate‐regenerated spent bleaching earth composite beads for efficient removal of methylene blue

“…Therefore, much research has been devoted to studying SBEs and their various applications. [7,[9][10][11][12][13] Among these studies, the removal of textile dyes by the adsorption technique, which appears to be relatively inexpensive and effective, is widely cited. [7,11,[14][15][16][17] As has been proven, the regenerated spent bleaching earth (RSBE) materials present a strong affinity for methylene blue (MB).…”

“…Therefore, much research has been devoted to studying SBEs and their various applications. [ 7,9–13 ] Among these studies, the removal of textile dyes by the adsorption technique, which appears to be relatively inexpensive and effective, is widely cited. [ 7,11,14–17 ]…”