Study on the phosphate removal from aqueous solution using modified fly ash

In this work the fly ash was modified by sulfuric acid for the removal of phosphate. It was found that modification of fly ash could significantly enhance the phosphate immobilization ability of the fly ash. The specific surface area of the fly ash increased from 8.8 to 32.5 m²/g after treated with sulfuric acid. The modification of the fly ash also resulted in the mobilization of acid-soluble metal ions due to partial or complete dissolution of the metals under the acidic conditions. Both adsorption and precipitation contributed to the removal of phosphate by the modified fly ash but precipitation was a major mechanism of phosphate removal. The experimental results showed that adsorption of phosphate by the modified fly ash was rapid, the removal percentage of phosphate could reach maximum in 5 min. In the range of 5–9, pH did not significantly affect the removal of phosphate and the removal percentage of phosphate increased with the increase of adsorbent dosage. The adsorption of phosphate by the modified fly ash could be described well by Langmuir isotherm equation, the Langmuir constant Q₀ was 9.15 mg g⁻¹. The XRD patterns and the SEM images of modified fly ash after sorption revealed that CaHPO₄·2H₂O was formed in the removal of phosphate. In addition, phosphate also formed precipitate with aluminum and iron.