Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticles from Aluminum Door and Window Factory Wastes for the Removal of Methyl Green Dye from Wastewater: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Background: It has become increasingly important to use non-toxic nanomaterials for treating industrial wastewater that contains organic dyes, such as methyl green. Method: A sol-gel method was used to synthesize aluminum oxide nanoparticles from waste aluminum and investigate the physicochemical process involved in their removal from methyl green. Result: The synthesized adsorbent was characterized using EDX, UV-visible, SEM, FTIR, XRD, and HRTEM techniques. The effects of various parameters, such as the initial concentration, the contact time, and the mass of the adsorbent, were studied for the removal of methyl green in the sunlight, dark, sonication and under UV radiation. It was suspected that Al2O3 nanoparticles and methyl green dye interacted electrostatically in water to cause degradation. The degradation rates of 15 mg/L methyl green were 94.13% and 82.33% after 15 min using ultrasound and UV light. While 70% and 3.33% of the dye degraded after 20 min under sunlight and in the dark. Conclusion: These readily made nanoparticles may well prove useful in wastewater treatment.