PBA-loaded albite-base ceramic foam in application to adsorb harmful ions of Cd, Cs and As(V) in water

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an investigation on a new kind of adsorbent materials, namely, the Prussian blue analog (PBA)-loaded albite-base porous ceramic foam, which can effectively adsorb the heavy metal ion in the wastewater. Design/methodology/approach The natural zeolite powder has been used as the primary raw material to make a sort of porous ceramic foam by impregnating polymer foam in slurry and then sintering. Adjusting the technological parameters could control the bulk density of the ceramic product, which could float on water with the bulk density less than 1 g/cm3 and also sink in water with the bulk density higher than 1 g/cm3. After desilicating the porous ceramic foam, an Al-Fe type PBA with a strong function of ion exchange was loaded on the ceramic surface by directly yielding. Findings The adsorption performance for harmful metal ions was greatly improved by combining together the high adsorption capability of the PB analog and the efficient high specific surface area of the porous ceramic foam. Originality/value This work presents a PBA-loaded albite-base porous ceramic foam that can effectively adsorb the harmful substance in water, and the adsorption efficiency for some typical harmful ions, i.e., Cd2+, Cs+ and As(V), was examined under different conditions of the experimental period, the pH value and the ion concentration in the tested solution.