EGU21-12619
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-12619
EGU General Assembly 2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Comparison of Microporous Minerals for Potential Contaminant Uptake

Marvin Osorio1, Christopher Oze1, and Aaron Celestian2
Marvin Osorio et al.
  • 1Geology Department, Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles, California 90041 USA
  • 2Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007 USA

Microporous minerals have many industrial applications, from filtration to contaminant immobilization. Natural and synthetic minerals, including zeolites, clays, and silica aerogel, represent a few examples of microporous minerals with distinctive structures, surface charges, and porosity. Analysis and comparison of their crystal structures are necessary to determine how each mineral may be suited for contaminant uptake. Here we assessed the structure of microporous minerals, specifically rowleyite, clinoptilolite, vermiculite, and silica aerogel.  Raman spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, and X-ray powder diffraction were used to create and model atomic mineral structures to visualize atomic and macroscope features. Taking into account pore size and surface charge each mineral was reviewed to find the best fit with regards to heavy metal uptake, mainly Pb (lead). Overall, we provide a comparative framework to assess microporous minerals that will inform future flow-through experiments for heavy metal uptake.

How to cite: Osorio, M., Oze, C., and Celestian, A.: Comparison of Microporous Minerals for Potential Contaminant Uptake, EGU General Assembly 2021, online, 19–30 Apr 2021, EGU21-12619, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu21-12619, 2021.

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