Enhancing Environmental Sustainability: Harnessing Dune Sand as a Bioresource for Porous Material Production

Abstract

The objective of this study is the preparation and characterization of porous material from dune sand from the Sahara region in Algeria. The first step consists of preparing a sodium silicate by heating at 1200°C a mixture of dune sand and sodium carbonate in a 1/1 mass proportion. The sodium silicate obtained is then dissolved in an aqueous solution and then neutralized with a 2N hydrochloric acid solution. After standing, a gel is formed. The gel is recovered and then washed several times with distilled water until the chloride ions are completely eliminated, then centrifuged and placed in the oven at 900°C until constant weight.

Some preliminary tests were carried out on the obtained material including elemental analysis and scanning electron microscopy, The results of these analyses show that the prepared material is a form of silica. Subsequently, The developed and characterized material is then tested for its capacity to adsorb a cationic dye.