Researchers at Zaozhuang University have developed a new environmentally friendly method to create ceramsite from solid waste, promising a potential solution to the ongoing problem of phosphorus pollution in wastewater.
With global phosphorus levels rising due to agricultural runoff and industrial discharges, researchers have focused on developing materials that can efficiently adsorb phosphorus from contaminated water sources. The study published in Scientific Reports outlines how ceramsite—a lightweight and porous material—can be formed using solid waste, such as dewatered sewage sludge and fly ash, with significant implications for wastewater treatment.
Utilizing optimal sintering conditions, including an additive dosage of 9 grams per 100 grams of mixture and a sintering temperature of 1100 °C, researchers created ceramsite that exhibits remarkable properties. The resulting SW-ceramsite combined a breaking rate of just 0.35% and a void fraction of nearly 70%, indicating its structural integrity and capacity for fluid filtration.
Through grey relation analysis, the team pinpointed that the additive dosage during the sintering process had the most significant influence on the physical properties of the ceramsite, outperforming other factors like heating rate and holding time.
The practical effectiveness of the SW-ceramsite was evaluated through its phosphorus adsorption performance, revealing an equilibrium adsorption capacity of 1.85 mg/g. The research indicates that this process follows a Freundlich adsorption isotherm, characterized by non-spontaneous and exothermic interactions.
Promisingly, even after nine regeneration cycles, the SW-ceramsite's phosphorus removal efficacy was minimally affected, with a loss rate of under 5%, highlighting its potential for sustainable reusability in treatment applications.
This study aligns with stringent environmental regulations, such as China's Law on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Waste, which emphasizes resource recovery and waste minimization.
The innovative use of solid waste to create functional materials like SW-ceramsite not only addresses critical environmental issues associated with solid waste management but also paves the way for new materials that can directly contribute to solving complex issues like phosphorus pollution.
The researchers recommend further field tests of SW-ceramsite using real wastewater sources to examine its operational efficiency and to explore enhancements to its properties for broader applications in wastewater treatment.
