Results in Surfaces and Interfaces (Oct 2024)
Examining the influence of sintering temperatures on the efficiency of 3D-printed natural zeolite for methylene blue dye adsorption
Abstract
Additive manufacturing technology, with its potential for improved material efficiency, cost reduction, and capability to fabricate complex structures, is increasingly being leveraged in environmental engineering applications. This study harnesses this technology for fabricating natural zeolite adsorbents using an extrusion-based 3D printer, examining the influence of different sintering temperatures (300, 600, 900, and 1200 °C) on the adsorbents' properties. The study finds that samples sintered at 300 °C disintegrated in water, while those at 1200 °C underwent melting, changing their shape. Focus was then shifted to samples sintered at 600 °C (3D-Ze-600) and 900 °C (3D-Ze-900), with the former displaying a remarkable methylene blue (MB) adsorption efficiency of 82.5%, significantly higher than the latter's 20.1%. This disparity in adsorption performance is closely linked to the difference in porosity; the 600 °C samples exhibited a notably higher apparent porosity, which was instrumental in their enhanced adsorption capability. In contrast, the 900 °C samples, despite their lower porosity, showed diminished adsorption efficiency. XRD analysis further revealed that the superior performance of the 600 °C samples could be attributed to their preserved crystalline structure, which was altered in the 900 °C samples. These findings highlight the critical role of sintering temperature in determining the structural and functional properties of 3D-printed zeolites, demonstrating their potential as efficient adsorbents in wastewater treatment and offering valuable insights for optimizing the fabrication process for environmental applications. Highlights: • 3D-Printed natural zeolite have been fabricated for MB dyes pollution adsorbent material. • The 3D-Ze-600 sample has the highest adsorption performance for MB dye. • Kinetics-model show that the process is predominantly driven by physical interactions. • Isotherm-model shows that the process obeys monolayer adsorption on a homogeneous surface.
