SYNTHESIS OF MERCAPTO AND AG MODIFIED BENTONITE COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR MERCURY VAPOR ADSORPTION

• Main Author: Ap Venandy Tarigan, Boy
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/61004
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Bentonite is one of the potential materials to absorb mercury vapor in natural gas. The advantages of bentonite material are economical, abundant and can be modified. Bentonite was modified with MPTMS and silver nanoparticles to increase its adsorption capacity to mercury vapor. In this research, bentonite/mercapto/Ag has been successfully synthesized by reflux method for bentonite/mercapto synthesis and impregnation and ion exchange method for bentonite/mercapto/Ag synthesis. Bentonite/mercapto/Ag were characterized using FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDS. The FTIR characterization showed the peak of the S-H bond strain at a wave number of 2929 cm-1 and the peak of the Ag-O interaction at a wave number of 1384 cm-1. XRD characterization showed that the structure and crystallinity of bentonite did not change after modification. SEM characterization showed that the bentonite surface was getting rougher and more porous after being modified with MPTMS and silver nanoparticles. The EDS characterization showed a peak of sulfur element of 4.99% and a peak of elemental silver of 1.41%. Based on the literature review, it was found that the optimal adsorbent for absorbing mercury was an adsorbent based on modified silica-based silver nanoparticles. Silica adsorbent has an adsorption capacity of 40.86 mg/g at a temperature of 50°C and a contact time of 1 hour. Silica and zeolite based adsorbents can be regenerated due to their porous structure and thermal resistance at relatively high temperatures.