Application of Factorial Design In The Optimization of A Procedure For Antimony (Sb) Remediation From Wastewater Employing Mesoporous Array
Abstract This study describes the sustainable and eco-friendly synthesis of the silica-based mesoporous structure from the use of alternative amorphous silica extracted from rice husk ash (RHA). The mesoporous material was called MCM-48 (RHA) and its application as adsorbent to the antimony (Sb) remediation in wastewater was tested. The adsorbent was prepared by an efficient and sustainable hydrothermal method, which exhibited an amorphous framework with type IV isotherms and type H1 hysteresis, high surface area (820.94 m2 g−1) and total pore volume (0.55 cm3 g−1) with a narrow mesopores distribution, uniform spherical particles, and well-defined architecture. Multivariate optimization using a factorial design (24) was employed in the adsorption tests of Sb. The variables evaluated and the conditions selected were: adsorbent mass (45 mg); adsorption time (60 min); pH (ranged from 2 to 10); and concentration of the Sb standard (8 mol L−1). The adsorbent material proposed in this study proved to be efficient for Sb remediation in aqueous media, mainly because it is a material with easy access, low-cost, and eco-friendly.