A new Fe-C porous filter material from dredged sediment: preparation, characterization, and its application

A new Fe-C porous filter material was prepared with dredged sediment of river as raw material. The orthogonal test L₉(3⁴) and component ratio experiment of raw material were conducted to investigate the optimum technological condition. Further, the filter obtained was characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Results showed that the optimal technological condition was sludge: straw: starch: iron powder: foam: iron powder 74.5: 10: 7.5: 3: 5, preheating temperature 280 °C, preheating 15 min, sintering temperature 1080 °C, and sintering 11 min. The BET surface area of the filter was 3.32 m² g^-1, and average pore size was 10.05 nm. Phase composition mainly included SiO₂, Fe₃O₄, Fe₂O₃, and muscovite (KAl₂(Si₃Al)O₁₀(OH)₂). Average effluent concentrations of total phosphorus (TP), total organic carbon (TOC), and total nitrogen (TN) of the biofilter system filled with the filter obtained were decreased to 0.08, 3.43, and 3.76 mg L^-1, separately, at hydraulic retention time 4 h. Thus, the filter prepared with dredged sediment of rive as raw material is an alternative material for polluted river water purification.