Modification of graphene oxide with eggshell adsorbent via impregnation method for fluoride removal in wastewater / Mohamad Ikmal Mohamad Azmir

The high concentration of fluoride can cause bad effects towards human being. Hence, adsorption is essential to develop a fast, selective, economic and eco-friendly method for fluoride removal in wastewater. The initiation of graphene-based material as an adsorbent has paid more attention as a favourable adsorbent due to its inexpensive cost, high adsorption capacity and very promising adsorbent for different genre of pollutants. Therefore, the effect of parameter during GO/Eggshell (GO/ES) synthesis by using impregnation method towards fluoride removal in the wastewater have been investigated. Firstly, the adsorption capacity and removal percentage were increase as the GO/ES ratio (5:1, 1:1, 1:5) were introduced, respectively. Next, as the synthesis temperature increased (30 oC, 45 oC, 60 oC), the adsorption capacity and removal percentages also increase. Also, the trend was also increase when the synthesis time were introduced (30 min, 60 min, 90 min). The FTIR spectrum proved that GO were successfully formed and ES had been dispersed over GO surface. FTIR results confirmed the synthesis of natural calcium by the formation of chemical bonding between ES and GO. Also, The FTIR spectrum indicated that the absorption process actively took place at functional group of hydroxyl (O-H) and carboxyl (C-O). Therefore, modified GO/ES adsorbent have proven to be a good adsorbent for fluoride removal and can be developed to achieve higher removal percentage.