Development of Wood Ash-Derived Geopolymer for Adsorptive Removal of Copper from Aqueous Solution
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11113/jamst.v30n2.354Keywords:
Wood ash, geopolymer, adsorption, copper removal method, pHAbstract
Heavy metal contamination by copper poses significant environmental risks, necessitating efficient and sustainable treatment technologies. This study investigated the potential of wood ash-derived geopolymer as a low-cost adsorbent for Cu²⁺ removal from aqueous solutions. Wood ash (WA) obtained from Acacia mangium was alkali-activated with metakaolin (MK) to synthesise a wood ash–metakaolin geopolymer (WAMK). The materials were characterised using particle size analysis (PSA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Batch adsorption experiments were conducted under different pH conditions to evaluate Cu²⁺ removal performance. PSA showed that WAMK possessed the smallest particle size (D(0.9) = 42.87 μm) compared with WA (70.19 μm) and MK (48.10 μm), indicating improved particle refinement following geopolymerisation. WAMK successfully formed a stable aluminosilicate geopolymer structure, as confirmed by FTIR and SEM-EDX analyses. Under acidic conditions (pH 5), WA exhibited the highest Cu²⁺ removal efficiency (101.38%), whereas WAMK and MK achieved removal efficiencies of 40.09% and 18.71%, respectively. At pH 10, all adsorbents exhibited adsorption capacities ranging from 6.52 to 6.74 mg g⁻¹ and 100% removal efficiencies, indicated that copper removal was influenced by both adsorption and Cu(OH)₂ precipitation under alkaline conditions. These findings demonstrate that solution pH plays a critical role in copper removal performance and that geopolymerisation successfully produced a structurally stable adsorbent with potential for sustainable wastewater treatment applications.
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