15 - Advanced applications of magnetic nanoparticles in water purification

Abstract

The application of functionalized magnetic adsorbent particles in combination with magnetic separation techniques has received considerable attention in recent years. The magnetically responsive nature of such adsorbent particles permits their selective manipulation and separation in the presence of other suspended particles. Thus it becomes possible to magnetically separate selected target species directly out simply by binding them on magnetic adsorbents before application of a magnetic field. By using several stages of sample pretreatment it is necessary to condition an extract before its application on packed bed chromatography columns, may be eliminated. Magnetic separations are fast, gentle, scalable, easily automated, can achieve separations that would be impossible or impractical to achieve by other techniques, and have demonstrated credibility in a wide range of disciplines, including minerals processing, wastewater treatment, and clinical diagnostics. However, despite the highly attractive qualities of magnetic methods on a process scale, with the exception of wastewater treatment, few attempts to scale up magnetic operations in removal of ions from adsorption mechanism have been reported here. The purpose of this book chapter is to summarize the current state of development of photodegradation using magnetic adsorbent particles and identifies the obstacles that must be overcome if the process is undergone with magnetic adsorbent particles is to find its way into industrial practice.