Synthesis and Evaluation of Alum Crystals from Waste Aluminum Foils in Turbid Water Treatment

Abstract

The disposal of waste aluminum foil is a significant environmental concern due to its non-biodegradable nature and potential to contaminate the surrounding ecosystem. In this study, we synthesized alum crystals from waste aluminum foil and evaluated their potential as an effective adsorbent for water treatment. The synthesis process involved the reaction of crushed aluminum foil with sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide to form aluminum hydroxide, which was then converted to alum crystals through a precipitation reaction. Chemical tests were conducted to confirm the presence of different ions in alum solution and solid alum crystals. The tests showed the presence of sulfate ions, potassium ions, and aluminum ions. Additionally, the study examined the effect of different dosages (10 to 100 mg/l) of alum on turbidity removal (triplicate) in water, where increasing the alum dosage led to an increase in turbidity removal, but beyond a certain point, the marginal increase in turbidity removal diminished. A dosage of around 40–50 mg/L was established as optimal for achieving a balance between effective turbidity removal and cost-effective use of alum, using a quadratic relationship to model a non-linear relationship between turbidity removal and alum dosage. This study demonstrates the potential of waste aluminum foil as a valuable resource for the synthesis of alum crystals, which can be used as an effective adsorbent for water treatment. Using waste materials for the synthesis of value-added products not only helps reduce environmental pollution but also contributes to the development of sustainable technologies. The results of this study have significant implications for the development of cost-effective and environmentally sustainable solutions for water treatment.