Adsorpsi biru metilena pada metakaolin dan nanokomposit metakaolin-TiO2 serta uji fotokatalisis

Abstract

One method used for handling organic dyes in wastewater is adsorption-photodegradation. This method is based on adsorption of the organic compound by the surface of a solid material that subsequently degrades the organic compound. Clay materials such as kaolin are commonly used as the adsorbent. High temperature heating of kaolin damages its structure and forms amorphous metakaolin. However, metakaolin is rarely used as adsorbent due to its low adsorption capacity. Therefore, modification was done on metakaolin to obtain a nanocomposite by physically mixing metakaolin with TiO2 anatase. In this study metakaolin was formed from Bangka Belitung kaolin by calcinations at temperatures of 550 and 700 ˚C for 3 and 6 hours for a total of four treatments. The study showed that the adsorption capacity decreased with increasing calcination temperature. Metakaolin calcined at 550 ˚C for 3 hours was used to create metakaolin-TiO2 nanocomposite using TB3 as binder with a metakaolin:binder:TiO2 mixing ratio of 6:3:1. The adsorption capacity of the nanocomposite was slightly lower than that of the metakaolin at 13.26 and 14.76 mg/g, respectively. This nanocomposite successfully photodegraded the methylene blue compound.