Abstract
Calcium–Zirconium–polyvinyl alcohol (Ca–Zr–PVA) cross-linked polymer composites were prepared under microwave irradiation and characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. These polymer composites were used as adsorbents for removal of fluoride ions from aqueous solutions. The effects of contact time, solution pH, and adsorbent dose were studied. The adsorption was found to be nearly independent of the pH of the solution and the maximum fluoride adsorption capacity of the adsorbent was 12.72 mg g−1. Langmuir adsorption isotherm fitted better with the experimental data of adsorption equilibrium studies than Freundlich isotherm. The kinetics of the adsorption process indicated second-order uptake of fluoride by the polymer composites. The polymer composites could be considered for the development of a feasible technology for fluoride removal from aqueous solutions.
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