Chromium Removal Using a Basalt Rock Adsorbent in a Packed Bed Column for Efficient Environmental Protection

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) contamination poses a significant environmental risk.
• Existing Cr(VI) removal methods face challenges in efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the potential of basalt rock as a low-cost adsorbent for Cr(VI) removal.
• To characterize basalt rock and assess its performance in both batch and continuous adsorption systems.

Main Methods:

• Basalt rock was prepared via size reduction and activation, then characterized using XRD and FTIR.
• Batch adsorption experiments determined the maximum adsorption capacity (14 mg/g), fitting the Langmuir isotherm.
• Continuous adsorption was performed in a fixed-bed column to analyze operational parameters and regeneration.

Main Results:

• Characterization confirmed basalt rock's composition (SiO2, Al2O3) and functional groups suitable for adsorption.
• Batch adsorption capacity reached 14 mg/g, indicating monolayer adsorption.
• Fixed-bed column studies showed that increased depth and decreased flow rate improved performance; the adsorbent was reusable for four cycles, retaining 23% capacity.

Conclusions:

• Basalt rock is a promising, cost-effective adsorbent for Cr(VI) removal.
• The material demonstrates good performance in continuous flow systems.
• Further research could optimize basalt rock for large-scale water treatment applications.