Synthesis of organophilic clay: A study of the influence of ph on chrome adsorption with a focus on the treatment of curtum wast

The increasing strictness of environmental laws, associated with the impacts from the inadequate disposal of waste, have challenged several industries to seek more efficient ways to treat their waste. The leather manufacturing industry is constantly growing, bringing with it a large load of waste. One of the most generated solid residues in this type of industry is the so-called "splicer dust". This waste is generated in the leather finishing stage, where the leather is scraped until it reaches the thickness desired by the consumer. These scraps are generated in large quantities per day, have a high concentration of heavy metals in their composition (mainly chromium, have low specific weight, are difficult to compact, and are usually sent to industrial landfills. The adsorption of contaminants using organophilic clay as adsorbent has been gaining space as a new and potentially viable technology, mainly due to the simplicity of operation and gains in the removal of contaminants. In this work, the characterization of sodium bentonite clay was performed and then its organophilization so that it can be applied in a solution of potassium dichromate, aiming the removal of Cr (VI), the main contaminant present in tannery waste. The results of the analysis showed evidence that the organophilization of the clay occurred, given the results obtained in the chemical analysis. The results also indicated good chromium removal efficiency, especially for pH 2, where the removal was the maximum obtained.