Nano-silica Derived from Coal Fly Ash: A Sustainable Iron (III) Ion Adsorbent

نویسندگان

1 Department of Industrial Waste Treatment, AKA Polytechnic Bogor, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

2 Research Center for Food Crops, Research Organization for Agriculture and Food, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

3 Department of Food Nanotechnology, AKA Polytechnic Bogor, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

4 Department of Food Nanotechnology, AKA Polytechnic Bogor, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

5 Department of Food Nanotechnology, AKA Polytechnic Bogor, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

6 Department of Food Nanotechnology, AKA Polytechnic Bogor, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

7 Department of Food Nanotechnology, AKA Polytechnic Bogor, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

doi
10.22090/jwent.2025.03.008
چکیده

Indonesia, as a country reliant on coal-fired power plants, produces substantial coal fly ash (CFA) waste, posing serious environmental and health risks. However, this waste can be repurposed into valuable materials, such as nano-silica, which has potential applications in wastewater treatment. This study focuses on the extraction, characterization, and application of nano-silica derived from CFA for the removal of Fe (III) from wastewater. Silica was extracted through a precipitation method by adding sodium hydroxide to produce sodium silicate, followed by hydrochloric acid to enhance the silica yield. The extracted silica was then converted into nano-silica using a combination of heating and ball milling. The resulting nano-silica was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and a Particle Size Analyzer (PSA). Its adsorption efficiency was evaluated using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS), which confirmed a Fe (III) removal efficiency of 94.48%. These findings demonstrate that CFA-derived nano-silica is an effective, sustainable, and cost-efficient adsorbent for heavy metal remediation in wastewater.