Magnetic Zeolite: Synthesis and Copper Adsorption Followed by Magnetic Separation from Treated Water

Zeolites are widely used in diverse applications, including the removal of heavy metals from wastewater. However, separating fine-sized zeolite particles from treated water is often a challenge. In this work, a novel method utilizing a colloidal polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution to bind iron oxide nanoparticles to a Linde Type A (LTA) zeolite was used to synthesize magnetic zeolite. Different zeolite–iron oxide nanoparticle loadings (10:1, 10:0.5, and 10:0.1) were used in batch adsorption experiments to investigate adsorption capacities and kinetics for Cu removal from an aqueous solution. The results showed that the magnetic zeolite maintained much of its adsorbent properties while facilitating a simplified process design. Thus, the adsorption capacity of pure LTA zeolite was found to be 262 mg/g for magnetic zeolite, with a 10:1 ratio—151 mg/g; 10:0.5—154 mg/g; and 10:0.1—170 mg/g. Magnetic separation was subsequently employed to remove the magnetic zeolite from the treated solution.