Non-hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of MCM-41 mesoporous materials from iron ore tailing

This study reported a facile synthetic method for MCM-41 mesoporous material at room temperature using iron ore tailing and cetyltrimethylanunonium bromide (CTAB) as a silicon source and a structure-directing agent, respectively. The obtained product was systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and nitrogen absorption-desorption measurement. It was confirmed that the as-synthesized material exhibited a well-ordered mesostructure with high surface area of ca. 634 m(2)/g, large pore volume of 0.61 cm(3)/g, and average pore diameter of 3.8 nm. The removal efficiency towards model pollutant methylene blue (MB) was performed through produced MCM-41 and 111 mg/g of MB could be eliminated under an optimal condition. Therefore, the material could be potentially used as a low-cost and efficient adsorbent candidate to treat organic contaminates in wastewater or other fields. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.