Synthesis and Characterization of Iron Pyrite Nano Particles for Pollution Control
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Date
2010
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Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka
Abstract
Pyrite, FeS2 commonly referred as fool's gold is the most abundant sulfide phase in the earth surface region. The reactivity of pyrite is of central importance in a devastating environmental issue known as acid mine drainage, and in beneficial commercial processes such as mineral benefaction. Pyrite is an unwanted entity in nation's graphite which depredates the value of the mineral repository. The overall aims of this project were two-fold: in one way purification of the graphite by removing pyrite will be suggested probing it's surface properties. Once it is separated, the value of this unwanted pyrite will be added by enhancing water splitting to generate OH' radical for none selective destruction of organic pollutants in water. In this work, in order to examine the surface properties pyrite samples were synthesized at laboratory scale using FeSO4.7H20, NaHS and elemental S as starting materials. The corresponding interactions of Fe (II) with freshly polysulphide were examined at 25°C over the pH range 5.5 to 8. Attempts were made to achieve pure pyrite phase through a simple chemical reaction in the liquid state followed by annealing. The phase purity and the structure were determined using FTIR spectrometry. Surface titrations were done for three different ionic strengths to determine zero point charge value of pH. The XRD and TEM analyses are currently in progress.
Key Words: Iron Pyrite, FTIR Spectroscopy, Surface Titrations
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Keywords
Environmental Science, Mineral science, Water Chemistry