Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Waste and Biomass Valorization, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
Waste pumice stones used in denim garment finishing processes to provide a unique effect on denim garments causes highly huge environmental load considering the yearly denim production. In this study, it was aimed to reduce the solid waste load by modifying waste pumice stones and finding new areas of use. Contrary to the studies reported in the literature, the modification of waste pumice stone to achieve different structural properties enhancing the moisture adsorption capacity of the material constitutes the novelty of the study. Additionally, the effect of sodium silicate/sodium aluminate ratio on the structural properties was tested. The characterization studies of unmodified and modified waste pumice stones were achieved by the zeta potential and particle size measurements, BET, XRD, FTIR, SEM–EDX analyses and the determination of moisture adsorption/desorption features of the samples. The results of the studies revealed that the amorphous structure of the waste pumice stone was converted into cubic-shaped regular formations by the modification. Further evaluation of XRD measurements demonstrated that the modification led to the transition of amorphous structures to zeolitic structures (Zeolite A and Na-P1 phases). The formation of two different zeolitic structures was attributed to the change in the sodium silicate/sodium aluminate ratio. The results of the moisture adsorption/desorption capacity measurements showed that the modification increased the water vapour adsorption capacity of pumice stone almost 12 times. With these findings, they were identified as possible promising candidates for adsorption. Graphical abstract: (Figure presented.)