Characterization and adsorption capacity of amine-SiO₂ material for nitrate and phosphate removal

Abstract

Amine-SiO₂ material was synthesized and applied as a novel adsorbent for nitrate and phosphate removal from aqueous solution. The characterization of Amine-SiO₂ were done by using TGA, FTIR, BET, and SEM analyses. Results showed that Amine-SiO₂ had higher nitrate and phosphate adsorption capacity of 1.14 and 4.16 times, respectively, than commercial anion exchange resin (Akualite A420). In addition, Amine-SiO₂ also had good durability with stable performance after at least 10 regeneration times, indicating that this material is very promising for commercialization in the future as an adsorbent for water treatment.