Ice-templated geopolymer beads for dye removal.

Geopolymer beads, conceived as alternative low cost adsorbents for wastewater treatment, were shaped by a dripping technique in liquid nitrogen, through an ice-templating process. PEG600 was added as a binder to ease the process, standardizing the beads dimension. The beads were investigated in terms of morphology, microstructure and mechanical strength, following compressive tests by ISO 18591. Functional tests, to verify the adsorption capacity, were conducted using methylene blue (MB) with different concentrations and for different contact time. The removal efficiency was mainly related to the morphology and porosity of the beads, which in turn was directly related to the water content added to the geopolymer slurry. In general, all beads reached an average removal efficiency of 98% after 24 h. However, the best performing beads were able to uptake MB very quickly, attaining a removal efficiency of 76% after only 30 min.