Efficient Removal of Phosphate from Aqueous Solutions Using Corundum- hollow-spheres Supported Caclined Hydrotalcite Porous Thin Films

Phosphate was removed from aqueous environment by corundum-hollow-spheres supported caclined hydrotalcite (cHT) thin films. Mg-Al-CO 3 hydrotalcite (HT) thin films were deposited on corundum-hollow-sphere substrates by hydrothermal homogeneous precipitation at 120 °C for 30–240 min and cHT thin films were obtained by annealing of the HT thin films at 500 °C for 180 min. Their crystal phase, morphology and microstructure were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that homogeneous, well-crystallized and hierarchical flower-like thin films were deposited firmly on the surface of the corundum. The mechanism of nucleation and growth of the HT thin films was fitted well with the anion coordination polyhedron growth unit model. To determine the absorption of phosphate by this adsorbent, different bed depth (10–30 cm) and flow rate (1.0–3.0 mL/min) were examined by column experiments. The highest removal efficiency of phosphate amounted to 98.5 % under optimum condition (pH = 7.2). The adsorption capacity increased as the bed depth increased and decreased as the flow rate increased.