Characterization and Application of Calcium Alginate/Go (<i>Graphene Oxide</i>) for Adsorption Na<sup>+</sup> and Cl<sup>- </sup>Ions

Water sources in coastal areas are highly susceptible to seawater intrusion, leading to significant environmental and economic losses. Therefore, advanced treatment methods are required to make seawater suitable for clean water production, particularly in addressing water scarcity in coastal regions. One promising approach is seawater desalination using calcium alginate/graphene oxide (GO) beads. In this study, waste coral skeletons were utilized as a calcium source due to their high calcium content. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis revealed that the calcium content in the coral skeletons was 93.4% before calcination and increased to 94.9% after calcination. These findings suggest that coral skeleton waste has potential as an adsorbent for Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ion removal. The synthesis of calcium alginate/GO was conducted using a droplet method and characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The adsorption process for Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions was investigated at varying CaCl₂ concentrations (0.5 M, 1 M, and 2 M) to determine the optimal conditions for ion removal. Na⁺ ion analysis was performed using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), while Cl⁻ ion concentration was determined via argentometric titration. The optimal Cl⁻ adsorption was observed at a CaCl₂ concentration of 0.5 M with a contact time of 30 minutes, achieving an adsorption efficiency of 99.8% in a standard NaCl solution and 35.9% in seawater. For Na⁺ ion removal, the highest adsorption efficiency was achieved at a CaCl₂ concentration of 2 M with a 30-minute contact time, resulting in 97.3% adsorption in a standard NaCl solution and 61.9% in seawater. These results highlight the potential of calcium alginate/GO composites, derived from waste coral skeletons, as effective adsorbents for seawater desalination.