Fabrication of Novel Porous Materials for the Removal of Mercury from Waste Water

New materials with potentially enhanced adsorption properties were developed by functionalizing the surface of the natural porous material to fabricate graphene-based and sulfide-based treated porous material. The functionalized materials were characterized with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FIR) and Raman spectroscopy. Batch experiment was employed to assess the efficacy for the removal of mercury with the adsorption isotherms being determined for the natural and treated porous materials. Results indicated that the loaded functional groups were not accessible to the mercury ions due to the pore blockage phenomenon. Predicted equilibrium concentration were consistent with experimental values.