Synthesis of Magnesium Ferrite (MgCexFe2- xO4)/Banana Peel Composite for De-Fluoridation of Real Water Body

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.