Ethanol Treated Mn–Zr Compound for Fluoride Removal and its Adsorption Mechanism

Abstract

Fluoride is an essential element for humans, but its excessive intake can cause harm to health. Adsorption is recommended as one of the most widely applied, affordable and convenient defluorination technologies. In the present study, Mn–Zr–Ethanol (Mn–Zr–Et) composite was prepared by sol–gel method with ethanol used as a solvent and then utilized for the fluoride removal. The removal performance of fluoride by the Mn–Zr–Et adsorbent was investigated through batch experiments. The removal mechanism of fluorine was further studied through analyzing the characteristics of the Mn–Zr–Et adsorbent. Results show that the integration of ethanol with Mn–Zr adsorbent could greatly enhance the removal capacity of fluoride when compared to the Mn–Zr adsorbent, where the adsorption capacity of Mn–Zr–Et adsorbent was 32.87 mg g⁻¹ at the initial fluoride concentration of 50 mg L⁻¹. The Mn–Zr–Et adsorbent had the advantages of fast adsorption rate, wide pH adaptation range and resistance to interference of coexisting anions. To sum up, the Mn–Zr–Et composite is a promising and green adsorbent for the highly efficient removal of fluoride.

Graphical Abstract