Application of Foam Glass Based on Glass Scrap and Plant Ash and Slag for the Preparation of Catalytically Active Materials

Abstract

A simple method for the preparation of a foam glass/CoFe2O4 composite material has been proposed for the first time. We have demonstrated the conceptual feasibility of utilizing glass scrap and plant ash and slag for the preparation of cellular glassy materials suitable for use as supports of catalytically active substances. The synthesized composite materials have been characterized by X-ray diffraction and electrode microscopy. A possible mechanism of cobalt(II) ferrite structure formation on the surface of foam glass has been discussed. We have studied the photocatalytic properties of the synthesized materials for the oxidative destruction of an organic dye in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The synthesized support has been shown to be inert in the catalytic process studied. The foam glass/CoFe2O4 composite material exhibits high catalytic activity under the conditions studied here: complete removal of the organic dye from a solution takes 210 min after the reaction onset.