Abstract
Surface-modified expanded perlite was synthesized using humic substances from the Megalopolis peaty lignite. Adsorption is efficient and increases at higher temperatures and lower pHs. The preparation can be carried out under mild conditions leading to an eco-friendly, bioinorganic material useful as soil conditioner and biofertilizer. Six adsorption models were applied; the Klotz, Freundlich and Redlich–Peterson isotherms fit more successfully to the experimental data. The obeying of the theoretical models was correlated with the heterogeneity and non-uniform distribution of the adsorption sites, host–guest attraction forces as well as the formation of self-assembled aggregates and self-organized multilayers of humic substances onto the aluminosilicate adsorbent, consistent with changes in micromorphology. Thermodynamic quantities revealing distinct physicochemical characteristics of the adsorption phenomena, i.e., enthalpy, entropy and free energy change, were calculated. Desorption experiments and cultivation of microorganisms demonstrated that perlite may act successfully as host material for microbial populations upgrading the humic-loaded perlite for soil applications.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.