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Dependence of phase distribution and magnetic properties of milled and annealed ZnO·Fe2O3 nanostructures as efficient adsorbents of heavy metals

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Abstract

Mixed oxides and ferrites nanoparticles (NPs) have shown a considerable potential in environmental applications of purifying wastewater from heavy metal by adsorption. In this paper, ZnO·Fe2O3 powders mixture were mechanical milled followed by annealing at 500, 600 and 700 °C. X-ray diffraction characterization confirmed the phase composition and showed crystal growth from 7 to 11 nm due to annealing. Scanning electron microscope revealed agglomerated and spherical particles that increased in size with same trend as XRD results. These nanopowders exhibited a ferromagnetic behavior with varying magnetization and coercivity, the saturation magnetization was found to decrease from 1.45 to 0.09 emu/g with increasing annealing temperature. This was explained due to phase transition and the allocation of A and B atoms in the tetrahedral and octahedral sites in ferrites as a result of annealing. Moreover, BET surface calculations showed an un-patterned pore size distribution with a maximum surface area of 1.84 m2/g obtained after annealing at 500 °C. This sample also demonstrated the highest adsorption capacity at 49.42, 54.69 and 12.34 mg/g for heavy metals ions of nickel, cadmium and chromium, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), P.O. Box 5701, Riyadh, 11432, Saudi Arabia

    L. Khezami, A. Modwi & Kamal K. Taha

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Bahrain, PO Box 32038, Zallaq, Kingdom of Bahrain

    T. S. Alwqyan

  3. Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Bahrain, PO Box 32038, Zallaq, Kingdom of Bahrain

    M. Bououdina & B. Al-Najar

  4. Center of Research Excellence in Nanotechnology (CENT), King Fahd University of Petroleum and Mineral, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

    M. N. Shaikh

  5. College of Applied and Industrial Sciences, University of Bahri, Khartoum, Sudan

    Kamal K. Taha

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  1. L. Khezami
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Khezami, L., Alwqyan, T.S., Bououdina, M. et al. Dependence of phase distribution and magnetic properties of milled and annealed ZnO·Fe2O3 nanostructures as efficient adsorbents of heavy metals. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 30, 9683–9694 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-019-01303-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-019-01303-2

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