Preparation of Granular Sorbent (GS) from Red Mud by Thermal Activation and its Application for Cu2+ Removal

In this study, granular sorbent (GS) which was prepared from red mud, clay and coal by sintering method was studied. With the aim of determining the optimal parameters for GS production, the influences of several important factors (including raw material ratio, sintering temperature and sintering time) on the adsorption capacity of GS for Cu2+ removal were evaluated in the single-experiment. The results indicated that the raw material ratio was the key factor that influenced the property of GS. The optimal conditions for GS preparation were as follows: the raw material ratio (red mud: clay: coal) of 85:10:5, sintering temperature of 400 °C and sintering time of 20 min.