SYNTHESIS, STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF BENTONITE - ACTIVATED CARBON COMPOSITE

Abstract

The development of adsorption purification technology in industry is divorced from research in the development of new methods for the synthesis and modification of composites, while the efficiency of the adsorbent directly depends on its structural and surface properties. Currently, there is an increasing demand for hydrogel adsorbents used in pharmaceuticals, medicine, and the chemical industry for wastewater treatment. Dash-Salakhlinsky bentonite, a natural clay mineral and activated carbon of the BAU-A brand, was used as an object of study. By intercalation of bentonite with activated carbon, a bentonite-coal composite was obtained. Grinding equipment of medium energy density was used: roller-ring vibrating mill VM-4. Activation time was 15 min. The average particle size of the initial bentonite and bentonite-carbon composite was determined by laser diffraction on a particle size analyzer. During mechanical activation of bentonite, the nature of the distribution of particles indicates the predominant process of aggregation over grinding. The morphology, structure, and textural properties of the composite were studied by the methods of low-temperature nitrogen adsorption-desorption and IR spectroscopy. An increase in the specific surface area and porosity after mechanochemical activation as compared to the calculated values indicates the interaction between the components. IR spectroscopy established the formation of additional functional groups that can act as active centers, which positively affects the adsorption properties. It is shown that the bentonite-charcoal composite has a high sorption activity with respect to the brilliant green dye. The data obtained can be useful in the development of effective sorbents for wastewater treatment from pollution by organic compounds, as well as in medicine and pharmaceuticals.