Fabrication of Composite Material from Sea Mussel Shells and White Clay as a Versatile Sorbent

Abstract

Problem statement: The removal of heavy metals contaminated in aqueous solution/wastewater has been causing worldwide concern. However, the adsorbent materials are usually limited due to their high cost and environmentally benign. To overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages, low-cost and effective adsorbents are in demand. Approach: In this study, the sea mussel shells/natural clay beads were prepared for using as low-cost sorbent to remove Cd in the synthetic wastewater. Results: The sorbent were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The adsorption of Cd(II) ions from aqueous solution onto adsorbent has been investigated using kinetic approach to evaluate the effect of initial concentration and contact time on the removal of Cd. In adsorption studies, residual Cd(II) ion concentration reached equilibrium in duration of 240 min for initial Cd concentration of 5 ppm. The maximum removal achieves 99.75 mg g^-1. Conclusion/Recommendations: The present results suggest that the adsorbent derived from sea mussel shells/natural clay bead is expected to be an economical material for removal of Cd(II) ions effectively from contaminated water.