Aluminum Oxide Coatings as Nanoadsorbents for the Treatment of Effluents Colored with Eriochrome Black T

The contamination of water bodies with toxic compounds from the agricultural, industrial, and domestic sectors is a serious environmental problem. Adsorption is one of the simplest, most functional, and economical methods for treating large volumes of water and removing its contaminant load. Thanks to its nanoporous structure, versatility, chemical inertness, and low-cost synthesis, anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) can be used as an adsorbent in a wide range of applications. In this work, nanostructured AAO coatings were successfully synthesized, and their performance as adsorbents was evaluated in decolorization tests of Eriochrome Black T (EBT) solutions. The adsorption process was found to be dependent on the initial dye concentration, agitation, temperature, and contact time. At 25 °C and 16 mg·L−1 initial EBT concentration, a maximum removal efficiency (%R) of 78% was obtained after 4.5 h at 500 rpm and after 5.5 h at 100 rpm, while without agitation, after 8.3 h of treatment, the highest %R was 40%. Furthermore, the adsorption rate increased significantly with temperature, reaching a %R of 99% after 2.25 h at 60 °C and 500 rpm. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the adsorbent can be used up to four times with a removal efficiency greater than 50%.