Abstract:
In this study, a composite of cerium doped magnesium ferrite (MgCexFe2-xO4 , x= 0.1)
and banana peel powder was prepared by hydrothermal method. The aim was to
assess its suitability for removing fluoride from fluoride-contaminated water. Crystal
structure and phase identification, chemical bonding, and magnetic properties were
characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and
vibrating sample magnetometery (VSM), respectively. XRD results reveal that the
prepared ferrite exhibits single phase face centered cubic (fcc) structure having no
impurity in the sample. Addition of banana peel powder has no effect on the crystal
structure. The values of structural parameters greatly match with the earlier reported
values for the same structure. FTIR results clearly indicate that the prepared ferrite is
spinel and have well defined vibrational and stretching peaks due to different
molecules present in the compound. Coercivity values for both ferrite and composite
materials are found to be a few hundred oersteds which confirm the soft magnetic
nature of this ferrite. The observed parameters show that the prepared composite may
find applications in different fields including de-fluoridation of water. The task of defluoridation of water will be accomplished immediately after resumption of labs
which has been interrupted by corona pandemic. For this purpose, the prepared
material is to be applied on real water body to assess the effects of pH, contact time,
adsorbent dose and initial fluoride concentration in water.
