Fly ash-TiO2 nanocomposite material for multi-pollutants wastewater treatment

This paper reports on the synthesis, characterization and adsorption properties of a novel nanocomposite obtained using the hydrothermal method applied to a fly ash-TiO2 slurry and hexadecyl trimethyl-ammonium bromide, as surface controlling agent. The new adsorbent was investigated in terms of crystallinity (XRD), surface properties (AFM, SEM, and porosity and BET surface) and surface chemistry (EDX, FTIR). The nanocomposite's properties were sequentially tested in adsorption and photocatalysis processes applied to multi-pollutant synthetic wastewaters loaded with copper cations and two industrial dyes: the acid dye Bemacid Blau and the reactive dye Bemacid Rot; the nanocomposite substrate allowed reaching high removal efficiencies, above 90%, both in adsorption and in photodegradation experiments, in optimised conditions. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.