Abstract
The present study offers an alternative use for columbite ore as metal source in the synthesis of Nb,Ta-modified MCM-41 and its applicability in the removal of methylene blue from aqueous solution. The structural and textural properties of the materials were obtained by XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, UV–vis and FT-IR analysis. The effects of pH, adsorbent dosage and initial dye concentration were evaluated by batch adsorption experiments. Adsorption kinetic and isotherm models showed a well fit with pseudo-second order and Freundlich model, respectively, indicating a chemisorption dominant process carried out in a heterogeneous surface. Furthermore, thermodynamic parameters indicated a spontaneous and feasible endothermic process. The MB adsorption capacity of Nb,Ta-MCM-41(30) reached approximately 207.07 mg g−1 in basic medium using 1.0 g L−1 of adsorbent. Therefore, it was found that this material is promising in wastewater treatment.
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