Comparative characterization study of diatomites from different brazilian locations and their application in dye adsorption

Abstract

Diatomites are natural materials that are easily found around the world and require further study to achieve a systematic application in industry. In this study, we compared three Brazilian diatomites from different locations and found some similarities in their intrinsic characteristics that may be useful for removing contaminants, such as rhodamine B and methylene blue. The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, microscopy, thermogravimetry and mercury intrusion–extrusion porosimetry. Our findings on their porous structures were very interesting and explain their different behavior when adsorbing different dyes, thus, establishing a direct relationship between diatomite structure and application.