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Magnetic Alumina for Chromium Ion Remediation: Isotherm Analysis and Kinetic Modeling
Siti Fatimah Md Hanafiah1, Northaqifah Hasna Mohamed Khir1,2, Nur Fatien Muhamad Salleh1
1School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Health Campus, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
ACS Omega
|May 11, 2026
Summary
Iron-alumina composites effectively remove chromium ions from water. This novel adsorbent shows high capacity and stability for sustainable heavy metal remediation.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Materials Science
- Inorganic Chemistry
Background:
- Heavy metal contamination in aquatic systems presents significant environmental and health concerns.
- Development of high-performance adsorbents with tailored surface properties is crucial for effective remediation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and investigate cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), and nickel (Ni)-alumina (Al) composites for chromium (Cr) ion removal.
- To systematically study the influence of oxygen vacancies (OV), metal substitution, and surface hydroxylation on adsorption efficiency using physical mixing (PM) and chemical precipitation (CP) methods.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of Co-Al, Fe-Al, and Ni-Al composites via physical mixing and chemical precipitation.
- Characterization using FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDX, BET, ESR, and XPS.
- Adsorption studies including zeta potential analysis, Langmuir isotherm, pseudo-first-order kinetics, and thermodynamic analysis.
Main Results:
- Fe-Al composite produced by PM exhibited the highest Cr adsorption capacity (500.0 mg g-1) with 91% removal.
- Fe incorporation enhanced porosity (296.15 nm pore diameter), magnetic properties, and surface hydroxyl density, facilitating Cr ion uptake.
- Adsorption followed Langmuir model and pseudo-first-order kinetics, indicating spontaneous and exothermic physisorption.
Conclusions:
- Fe-Al composite demonstrates superior performance for chromium ion remediation.
- The material is a scalable, stable adsorbent with high Cr removal efficiency, suitable for industrial wastewater treatment.
- Findings highlight the potential of engineered metal-alumina composites for sustainable heavy metal remediation.
