Potencial de adsorção do resíduo do beneficiamento do caulim.

Abstract

The most important challenges for companies and industrial production processes. The kaolin mining and processing industry has been cited as a source of environmental aggression for generating thousands of tons of solid waste annually, and its largest share is disposed indiscriminately in the environment, which associates kaolin with a huge environmental liability. Therefore, this research work had as objective to test the adsorption capacity of solid residue of kaolin from the region of Junco do Seridó, providing a destination to this material making it a possible new adsorbent, since this residue has high availability. Initially a sample of the residue was characterized by X-ray Spectrophotometer by Dispersive Energy where it was observed that the material had predominance of silicon oxide and aluminum oxide, characteristic of the constituents of the kaolinite type. The sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction by a presence of mineral kaolinite through characteristic peaks corresponding to the sample, in sequence a residue sample was subjected to tests of Foster swelling and Adsorption capacity where the results suggested greater swelling of Foster in the sample after agitation and higher adsorption capacity without solvent gasoline. The pH test was performed on three effluents in different systems containing the kaolin residue where the best pH obtained was 3.8-3.9 for the effluents tested. Then, the studies were performed with the mathematical model of pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order. From the kinetic data, adsorption isotherms were obtained and the data were adjusted to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms models and the data were better fitted to the Langmuir model. Thus, the data obtained indicate that the residue from the process of kaolin processing is a promising material and presented high potential as an adsorbent.