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Prof. Jang Min’s Research Team (Department of Environmental Engineering) Develops High-Efficiency...

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  • 2021-11-18
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Prof. Jang Min’s Research Team (Department of Environmental Engineering) Develops High-Efficiency Material for Manganese Removal in Water

 

 

Professor Jang Min’s research team (Department of Environmental Engineering), Jang Seok-Beom (first author) and research professor Jong Cho-Eun (co-corresponding author), conducted a research project with a magnesium hydroxide-coated medium (Flower like Magnesium Hydroxide coated) in polyurethane that effectively removes manganese in water. Polyurethane (hereinafter FMHP) was developed. The results were published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials (IF: 10.588, JCR top 3.64%), a scientific journal in the field of environment.

 

Manganese is the 12th most abundant element in the earth's crust and exists mainly in the form of ore. Long-term or high exposure to manganese can cause chronic manganese poisoning and neurological damage such as Parkinson's disease.

 

Adsorption, which is the most widely used among existing water treatment technologies, has limitations such as low manganese selectivity and some ionized manganese remaining. In addition, the removal of manganese through oxidation among widely used technologies generates a large amount of sludge (sediment) and has a disadvantage due to the cost of post-treatment. Therefore, it is inevitable to develop a practical, simple, and high-efficiency technology for the treatment of manganese.

 

When magnesium hydroxide undergoes a hydrothermal synthesis process, related studies have been actively carried out as the plate-shaped magnesium hydroxide forms a flower-shaped three-dimensional structure with a maximized surface area due to its own aggregation and electrostatic repulsion. In particular, research on removing heavy metals by supporting magnesium hydroxide on the surface of polyurethane has been continuously conducted.

 

Professor Jang Min’s research team found that by supporting magnesium hydroxide on the surface of polyurethane, the adsorbed manganese is oxidized rather than simply adsorbed to dissolved manganese to form a manganese oxide layer. In this study, the effect of the reaction between magnesium hydroxide and dissolved manganese and the formed manganese oxide layer on the manganese removal ability was investigated and confirmed.

 

Through the results of this study, the treatment of dissolved manganese with polyurethane loaded with magnesium hydroxide costs $0.062 million per ton of contaminated water, proving that it is very economical and effective. It is expected to make a significant contribution to improving health.

 

Meanwhile, this study was carried out with the support of the National Research Foundation of Korea and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, and the research results were published online on September 20, 2021 in Journal of Hazardous materials (IF: 10.588), a scientific journal. (Paper title: In-situ growth of manganese oxide on self-assembled 3D-magnesium hydroxide coated on polyurethane: Catalytic oxidation mechanism and application for Mn(II) removal)

 

■ Web link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127267 

 

Manufacturing and properties of magnesium hydroxide-supported polyurethane and the mechanism of manganese removal and in situ formation of manganese removal material by the material