Novel method of poly aluminum chloride extraction from kaolin and its application for wastewater treatment

Abstract

Most water resources are consumed by agriculture, particularly in developing countries. Consequently, the volume of wastewater from agriculture accounts for the majority of non-traditional water sources. This work extensively tackled the extraction, production, characterization, and application of leached poly aluminum chloride (PAC) from kaolin as a natural material to inhibit the pollution of water resources. The hydrochloric acid concentration percentage, pH, flux rate of HCl, and contact time were evaluated as factors controlling the output of leached PAC as (Al2O3). FTIR, XRD, and SEM were utilized to characterize the produced PAC as a novel material subsequently used in the treatment of agricultural wastewater. The empirical results revealed that the water treated with PAC™ complied with international standards and had no substantial variation in the dissolved ions. While employing PAC™, the maximum removal of turbidity, TSS, TOC, Nitrogen content and COD in agricultural wastewater reached 96.25%, 96.4%, 90%, 87.5%, and 75%, Whereas, the maximum removal of turbidity, TSS, TOC, Nitrogen content and COD in agricultural wastewater reached 95%, 95%, 80%, 84.4%, and 75%, respectively when using C-PAC. In conclusion, the use of PAC™ prepared from kaolin in agricultural wastewater treatment should be expanded as a low-cost and high-quality coagulant that protects the reverse osmosis membranes and mitigates the environmental impact of their disposal.