Valorization of Glass Wool Waste in Metakaolin-Based Geopolymers for Methylene Blue Adsorption

Abstract

This study examines the efficacy of geopolymer composites derived from metakaolin (MK) and waste glass wool (GW) in the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. For characterization, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis were performed. The results showed that adding more GW made the surface rougher, more porous, and higher specific surface area. The sample made entirely of GW had a specific surface area of 268.35 m2 g-1. Structural analyses corroborated the emergence of calcium-aluminosilicate gel phases in GW formulations. Adsorption performance was closely related to the gel's surface area and composition. The 100 GW and 20-80 MK-GW samples had the highest removal efficiency. Kinetic studies showed that the pseudo-second-order model best described the process, indicating that chemisorption was the predominant mechanism. Regeneration experiments showed that stability was achieved, with more than 80% of the capacity remaining after two cycles. Overall, these results highlight GW-based geopolymers as sustainable and low-cost adsorbents for effective dye removal.

Keywords

• Alkali activation
• geopolymer adsorbent
• glass wool waste
• methylene blue
• wastewater treatment

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